Unwrapped, her wings like stained glass art
Gifted the butterfly her start.
She fluttered near so all could see
In flight how beautiful was she.

Left behind, the chrysalis
The caterpillar she wouldn’t miss.
Her metamorphosis now past
Her loveliness revealed at last.

From bloom to bloom she did her dance
And above a stream as she did glance
Catching a glimpse of her reflection
She reveled in her pure perfection.

Eager to gather some accolade
She left the garden’s protective shade.
And found her way into the town
Winging up the streets and down.

In her conceit to gather praise
She flew like that for days and days
And did impress the passerby
When she was noticed in the sky.

Then the butterfly obsessed
With the beauty she possessed,
Found her image in the glass
Of the vehicles driving past.

In every window she made a fuss
Darting betwixt car and bus
Unaware of all the threat,
She marveled at her silhouette.

With every tiny butterfly breath
She somehow managed to cheat death
But she became so tired and worn
Her wings dirty, dark and torn.

And so she journeyed back to the shade
To the garden where she should have stayed.
Back to the abandoned chrysalis
Back to the place of her first bliss.

Wings carefully folded she climbed back in
Tucking in her little chin,
With butterfly tears on her face
She sorrowed at her fall from grace.

A gentle rain began to fall
A cleansing rain that fell on all.
A glistening bit of precipitation
That made of her a new creation.

Once again her wings unfurled
In the garden there she twirled
Around and round she danced in flight
Once again a true delight.

And there she stayed and lived her days
Dancing butterfly ballets.
Content with the occasional gleam
When she chanced to look into the stream.

05/05/2005