THE BUTTERFLY

A creature with so short a life-span sees eternity is little more than a day

I won't be there in the morning
When the eagles, silent, fly,
I won't be there when the galleons
Like ancient ghosts drift by,
But I will be there at the sunset
And the dying of the day,
When the owl flexes his feathers -
And the fumbling sky is grey.

And I'll breathe my last as the raven
Shifts on his perch awhile
As he stares through the gloom at shadows
Down the forest church's aisle,
I'll lie in the mere before morning
And its hint of the birth of light
But my spirit will stay with the evening
And the cradle of the night.

I'll grow cold as the sun breathes on me,
Let the eagle take my eyes,
Let his talons grip my wasting
Beneath daylight's searching skies,
And when I'm gone to the earth that spawned me
I'll wish like we maidens can
That I had more than a day to live through
And more of the dreams of man.

Reviews

[Marianne Rose]

Beautifully written, beautiful phrasing and theme. I know it is a butterfly, but I couldn't help but see it also as man's life too- like one day in eternal terms- going so quickly through the phases the butterfly experiences. I really like the first two stanzas - drawing me into the poem, the contrasts with animals and seasons. Thank you so much for sharing this.

[Peter Rogerson]

I'm truly grateful for your review. Sometimes when the muse grabs me I like to write more traditional poetry.

[Vatsal Rohilla (account..]

This is a very beautifully penned poem. The theme that you have chosen and expressed upon is quite unique- this is the first poem of this kind I have ever read. Butterflies are cute, little creatures which seem impressive. Imagining yourself to be a butterfly and then writing down what a butterfly's thoughts are is just a brilliant idea executed perfectly in this poem. For us, humans, eternity is like what- thousands of years? But for creatures like butterflies, eternity means a few days. Great job. Keep writing.

[Peter Rogerson]

Thanks for your review. Our own perspective is based on a life-time of over 70 years (it better had - I'm over 70 myself) and it's difficult to imagine a lifetime that is limited to the daylight hours of a single day.