Butterfly Whispers

Butterfly Whispers

I wanted to write a poem about a butterfly
And dedicate it to my friend Robby, come close, I’ll tell you why
I started many times, but I couldn’t get it right
It wasn’t what I wanted to say, the feeling was too light
Not that a butterfly is heavy, nor is it a favorite of mine
But it can represent life’s struggle as it gracefully flutters by

My Dad told me about a butterfly that he had seen one day
It made him stop and admire the beauty in God’s way
This let me know I am not alone in seeing treasures on this earth
For I find great worth in sunsets despite an empty purse
When Robby told me he was sick his sad eyes did not lie
I ran out of the building so he wouldn’t see me cry

As I stood in shock while sobbing I looked with questions to the sky
In search of God’s answers, I saw a light blue butterfly
I tried to focus on the beauty and the meaning in my Dad’s words
But I saw fear in Robby’s face; “I have Cancer” is what I heard
Robby was much more than a coworker; He was a kind and noble man
He seemed so healthy at the Highland Games, supporting his Forbes clan

The next month I was a Plum Fairy, a bridesmaid on the sand
A dear friend got married on the beach, my flowers shook within my hands
For as the bride walked through the dunes while the Harpist proclaimed she had arrived
Tears of joy overwhelmed me, then I saw it—a white butterfly
It gently floated through the air on a delicate ocean breeze
Magically touching my heart, before silently taking its leave

I thought of my Dad enjoying God’s wonders; I thought of Robby and his contagious smile
I knew then he would never get married; I knew then he had only a short while
A few months later I received the message, Robby had died on the 1st day of May
During his service the preacher acknowledged, it can be hard understanding God’s way
As the bagpiper rendered Amazing Grace in a fashion that would make Robby proud
I could feel Robby standing beside me; I felt his hand as I walked through the crowd

And once again God sent me a whisper letting me know that Robby was okay
He sent me a butterfly in the parking lot, that seemed to follow us as we drove away
The ride home was full of reflection of the friendship between Robby and me
He seemed to know not to take life too seriously, a gift that I finally see
For a butterfly’s lifespan is a matter of weeks while its beauty can be striking and wild
For me, Robby was blue orange and green with a wingspan just under a mile

By: Angel Stewart
June 2004