by John Bartlett TCF Queensland, Australia


You flit about without a care
Searching for food on morning’s air.
Pure icon for a soul set free
Of life, of love and liberty.
Your wings abound with colours true
Of orange, brown, red, green and blue.
Like noble’s shields in days gone past,
Displayed the patterns that were cast
In perpetuity to see;
Now all the world doth envy thee!

Yes, seasons come and seasons go
But I remain, and even though
My child has left this life of pain
To be reborn on high again,
Your life is short lived too, it seems
Like visions of a shattered dream.
So Papillon, can you not see
Why you’re so special now to me?
Of all God’s creatures great and small,
You are, no doubt, the best of all.

My garden is your second home
Free spirit fly, where I may roam
To watch your path on silken wings;
My thoughts then turn to other things.
And so with coloured form and grace
The pride of Lepidoptera’s race,
Is thus now set to symbolise
The changed form up above the skies.
Now I must wait and watch for thee
And long for some serenity.