A free verse poem about butterflies and fireflies
disappearing. |
Butterflies and fireflies … of these have I many happy memories from a childhood spent growing up in Macon, Georgia in the 1950’s in a house not far from downtown. Butterflies of such vibrant hues – yellow, orange, red, blue, and white – danced through the summer air, flitting from sunbeam to sunbeam, tempting many a small boy to give chase. Butterflies were everywhere. Butterflies were commonplace. Come the dusk and the twinkling of fireflies filled the night air. Every yard was aglow with firefly fluorescence, flashing brightly then fading away. It was so easy to fill a jar with these miniature lanterns to pass the night glowing intermittently beside a small boy’s bedside. Fireflies were everywhere. Fireflies were commonplace. Now it’s 2005 and where have all the butterflies and fireflies gone? The sight of a lone butterfly crossing the yard is enough to command notice, and fireflies are simply never seen. What are small boys supposed to chase during sunlit hours or to capture in jars at dusk to share the darkness of night? What has Man done to His world? I am greatly saddened by an environment where my grandchildren are forced to grow up in a world largely devoid of butterflies and fireflies. Please check out my ten books: http://www.amazon.com/Jr.-Harry-E.-Gilleland/e/B004SVLY02/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 |