Flight

the
thunder
red and black and dark
heard but not seen
incoherent for its volume
wordless
loud
unstoppable
so
stay out of its path
it is rolling ceaselessly forward

every red and furious encounter
leaves the butterfly
singed scarred
there is no fighting
there is only hiding
but the red thunder will seek the butterfly out
it must blend
pretend

the butterfly's flight
doesn't exist
a flight that would be
so different
slow, beautiful
painful
all seen little heard
every inch of movement drawing all its energy
grace power ingenuity
but it wont fly
can't fly
the butterfly is trapped
hovering
trying to live
its feet never touch ground
it flutters in fear
exhaustion...

the butterfly watches with eyes
too big too revealing
but cannot be
like the wind
up and down in and around
soft and coaxing
or the whistling sound
that it watches warily
lilting laughing carefree..

so it hides
masquerade in place
it is alive
but inside
the butterfly is a moth
grey, lifeless
that withers
and disappears
at the lightest touch

it is a death unknown
unwitnessed

till one day
a ray of light appears
new
never seen before
never imagined
penetrating its shroud
so simply
deeply
the frail butterfly shakes
the light is strong and lovely
warm, kind
but it hurts
to face it...

drawing out
a beating heart
the beauty
magnificence
that the butterfly has had to hide
but
so slowly
it begins
awaken
feel talk laugh sing
be fly
open
free

fighting to shed the remnants
of her cloak
and build the little moth
from the inside
the butterfly cannot look back

the butterfly is new
a new creation
begins to live
to love
connect
share
no longer afraid
a learner and a teacher
a partner

ray of light and butterfly
cannot be apart
without the light, she cannot fly
and the ray of light
follows
to new places
it never knew it never knew
attached
in flight
in love
enclosed in a secret
together



see
see the
unrecognisable butterfly
in a new orbit
a bright one
fearless

brave
discovering
meaning of flight