A Gesture of Butterflies
They’ve invaded – the butterflies
Drunk on thistles, the bounty of rain
Small as half a broken egg shell
The ordained compass of Painted Ladies
Flitting o’er fields, creeks, chaparral
Darting along air flight highways,
From the Mexico-California border
Migrating to the Pacific Northwest
Be still, they approach in silence
Their mission to journey north
For the sake of their future tribe
Flounced wings, orange and charcoal
Black-eyed scales of outside pennants
Guarding the route of tiny gypsies
If only they could guard those below
The ones on knee, in chants, in prayer
What crusted his heart with toxic hate
Who gave him the bullets and the gun
How turn holy words to curse and lie,
Why assault the gates of church, temple,
Synagogue, mosque, sacred ground
The fluttering echo of God on Earth
Ravaged by a beast who never paused
To see the holy gesture of butterflies
My heart goes out to the family and friends of those who were murdered in Christchurch, New Zealand; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; Oak Creek, Wisconsin; and the many places of worship where innocent people have been attacked by terrorists who will not recognize the spark of God within all human life.
In honor of the innocents who were killed, I will not remember the names of the terrorists nor their hateful twist of words.
Just a thought 69
Painted Lady butterfly photos courtesy of Pixabay and Wikipedia