Painted Lady

Painted Lady

It landed on me
all different colours and then
it took off again

A small butterfly
adorned with orange and black
from the artist’s brush

Cotton wool cocoon
kept its children safe and warm
till the time to grow

The leaves that surround
swayed as though drunk on the sun
for this ritual

Wings wrapped around them
released their life to the world
they would come back

They grew and were free
gave their last butterfly kiss
the wind blew them down

a fallen petal
landed on the page and stayed
a new kind of home.

 © Caitriona Hansen