If my thoughts were butterflies
fluttering by
I would catch them with a net
lest I forget
I would pin them on a board
Each wing a swirl of thought
And put them on display
So I'll never run out of things to say.
Fly, fly, my butterflies
Spread your wings and take to the skies.
If my thoughts were butterflies
fluttering by
I would keep them in a jar
and they would never fly far
Wonder against wonder
As they merge together
Seeds will start to grow
As thoughts are wont to flow.
Fly, Fly, my butterflies
Spread your wings and take to the skies.
If my thoughts were butterflies
fluttering by
I would witness the hatching of the eggs
Tiny caterpillars with tiny legs
I would feed them ideas as they grew
I would feed them knowledge, old and new
In cocoons they would converge
And from them, more butterflies would emerge
Alas, my thoughts are not butterflies
fluttering by.
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I wrote this in response to a post in my local FB writers' group, where one of the members shared the painting as a prompt to write a poem or a short story. I am not a poet; I don't have the finesse or the skills of one. Sometimes, however, the words flow out, especially when I haven't written a story in a long time.
The world is a scary place. It's an ugly place. But it is also a place of unimaginable beauty and wonder. The words we share can be ugly; they can hurt. The words we share can also be beautiful, and can heal the soul.
Maybe these words can never do the beautiful painting that inspired them justice. Maybe these words will float in the void that is the internet.
But still. The world needs more beautiful thoughts.
Stray Thoughts, by Maggie Taylor
Source: The Curiously Creative Maggie Taylor