Requiem for a Star

She was for just an instant
a smile on the face of time.
Fluttering through love and lust
and even hate, as a butterfly
goes from flower to flower. Taking
something from each and leaving
in its place a bit of life, a
sharing that made all things one
and right. Why does such a
light go out so soon, when
others, far less brilliant,
seem to last forever.