Blow Gently on its Wings
by Joan Horton
For Samantha
Next time you see a butterfly
blow gently on its wings
and whisper all your secret thoughts
from which hope eternal springs.
And as it soars beyond your reach
to skies beyond compare,
it glides and swoops and shakes itself
to leave your secrets there.
And so they float down one by one
like snowflakes – all different sizes:
they will be blown and shown and passed around
like many of your surprises.
Your hopes will prosper, your dreams come true
your expectations will be high.
And all because you stopped one day
to blow gently on a butterfly.
Inspiration: I saw a butterfly on a rose bush and the air from its beating wings made a rose quiver. I remembered a Chinese friend saying, ‘The smallest ripple makes the largest wave,’ and I connected it to airwaves. The despondent friend I was with smiled and her face changed instantly to happiness.
Joan Horton is an exile from the Midlands since 1975 and now lives in Emsworth. She writes short stories, poetry and scripts, and is a member of Lovedean Writing Group (now renamed Springwood). She also belongs to the Funtington Players and meddles with acting when she can.