By Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2021    

First published on 012621

Mere butterflies
we soar the sky,
cloaked in beauty,
on currents high;

Fluttering 
toward sun-soaked cloud,
we spread our wings,
awing the crowd;

Pollinating
each flower we touch,
we enrich lives,
some little, some much;

Inhaling deep,
nectar of life,
we surge with joy,
husband and wife;

Foundation laid,
for our offspring,
we nourish them,
under our wing;

As we grow old,
our colors fade,
with flights lower,
resting in shade;

Until the night,
our spirit frees,
and body fails,
swept out to breeze.