Matilda

Matilda lurks by the side of the road, in broad daylight ..near Cabbage Town. She blends in so well ..hardly anyone notices her at all. Like a chameleon, nature has outfitted her with urban camouflage exterior. Her appearance changes to match her surroundings. Now, to a passerby, she looks like part of the scenery ..like a mural ..a storefront ..or another piece of roadside debris. However, when young children come around, whose senses haven't yet habituated and become so narrowed down ..they know she’s there. I know that they know because, when we go by in the car, I hear little Francis yelling: “Hey look, there’s somebody living in the graffiti.”