Water scavenger beetle goes on the hero’s journey

Driving home from school today, I heard a story about the water scavenger beetle. Well, that’s the short version. After weeks of struggling with my decision of whether to keep teaching in this pandemic, I finally decided. Today was my last day, at least for the foreseeable future. I’ve never left a job I loved so much. But it feels like the right decision.

The water scavenger beetle

I’m fascinated by strange stories about nature. I’ve written picture book stories about bugs, and bug-kus–even one about the Japanese beetle. Driving home from school for the last time for the foreseeable future, I happened to hear this story on Science Friday about a water scavenger beetle. The gist of the story is that frogs eat these beetles who then crawl through the frog and come out the end. Some make the journey in six minutes–for others, it takes an hour or two.

Here’s a link to the article about the water scavenger beetle from the New York Times:

There are two ways out of a frog. This beetle chose the back door.

And here is a short video showing the beetle entering and exiting:

Learning from bugs

This story is fascinating in many ways. But I think that it also speaks to me as a metaphor for how to survive. I haven’t thought it all the way through yet–from one end to the other, but I can feel it move me. (I’m trying to resist making poop jokes, but it’s hard!). This little beetle is like Jonah or Pinnochi who both survived being swallowed by whales.

So here’s our hero’s journey

1. Frog swallows hero
2. hero enters the belly of the beast
3. hero keeps moving forward, surviving being doused with digestive juices
4. and breathing with a bubble of air carried beneath her wings
5. hero follows the dark (possibly smelly) path through the bowels (literally) of frog’s inner world,
6. hero emerges/gets pooped out into the light of day

Life feels like that some days. Wandering through the dark tunnels of life, not exactly knowing where we are or if we will make it out the other end. The only way to move through the dark, the unknown, is to trust our inner knowing–and keep moving.

Poem for a water scavenger beetle

Inner darkness consumes

but does not kill

intrepid beetle.

Ever moving, never resting,

evading entropy.

She emerges alive, victorious,

expelled like so much waste.

Looking the same as before

but forever changed

by her journey

from darkness into light.

Poetry Friday

Happy Poetry Friday! Our host this week, Laura Salas, writes about another amazing creature–the pufferfish. See what she has to see–and what other poets have to share, or share a poem of your own.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope that if you are in darkness, you find your way to the light.

Have a great week!

xoxo