Those Who Live in Grass Houses

Butterfly

Butterfly

A megalomaniac metamorphosis, the frog;
the butterfly is merely a flying worm. Beholden 1970

The butterfly goes flutt’ring fair
in colours bright and debonair,
his warning sign extraordinaire
to predators that ride the air,
“I’m poisonous so you take care -
suggest you hunt some other fare.”

And though it be a lie so bold,
the birds do know through time untold
such painted tones will danger hold,
and leave the conman lone and cold
to flutter on his course paroled,
escaping as his plan foretold.

Just think that as his wings do stir
the atmosphere in tiny blur,
his microscopic storm may whirr
to greater gales and so confer
unto the world cyclone and whirl-
wind enough to make us demur.

Remember that this flying worm
contains always this nascent germ,
and though he seems so light and bright,
his heart is steeped in darkest night.


Line count: 22
Form: Trochaic tetrameter, rhymed aaaaaa bbbbbb cccccc ddee
For Cards Against Authors, Week 2
Prompt Card: A butterfly as a villain. .
Word Cards: Glimmering, Whirlwind (You only need to choose one word to use)
Wild Card: Constraint: Two lines in your poem must either use only one-syllable words or no one-syllable words.