Wednesday, February 1, 2017

February 1, 2017 Poets United Midweek Motif/Faith

Faith

a fragile butterfly               sometimes blown off course by a terrible wind

sometimes found with broken wings...     or just dead...         frozen corpse

stiff and still                       his eyes dull                                 he flies no more

i wonder what happened to him                                no clues left at the scene

he simply flies no more             i remember anni dillard's story of the butterfly

that emerged in the mason jar      in her classroom           when she was a child

the jar too small           his wings could not spread            the lacquer set 

bent and deformed...       at the end of the school day        they released him

to walk away...                   he never flew...            what happened to that butterfly...

perhaps... later found dead          no clues at the scene              no answer to shed

yet he remains in my memory      like the movie groundhog day     each time

i see him from behind...                his wings bent and deformed...   walking away  

when faith is found dead              no clues at the scene            a frozen corpse

stiff and still                         his eyes dull                                  a fragile butterfly

February 1, 2017



9 comments:

Sherry Blue Sky said...

This is such a good description of faith, which needs room to spread its wings. The image of the butterfly in a jar will stay with me. Poor thing. Great lines: "when faith is found dead / no clues at the scene".

Samyuktha Semi Jayaprakash said...

I wonder what killed his faith. The wind or the broken wing?

Susan said...

Blew me away. Many of us never get to rehab those bent wings, those possibilities we were born to carry. Many never get out of the jar. Sad memory, poignant image that I now carry. I definitely like having wings I can spread.

Myrna R. said...

When faith is found dead - I too will not forget the image of the butterfly walking. I hope I am never that butterfly. Good write.

indybev said...

Ah, we must take great care of our fragile wings, lest we, too, are left to only walk away. Touching words.

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

Such a fitting image--and poignant write--this was really lovely

Rob Jackson said...

That poor butterfly that I too will now never forget.

Sumana Roy said...

the butterfly image is so apt...

Sanaa Rizvi said...

This pulls directly at the heartstrings... sigh..

Not Just A Cup

  Not Just a Cup       Southern born Not a tea drinker Always coffee For me   Although I often find  Bitter taste Of the dark brew A bit muc...