Papillon

I behold you

your sheer beauty
reminding me
of a butterfly
spreading its wings
in the sunlight

I long to touch you

I want to wrap
my hand around you
and feel your tiny butterfly wings
vibrating against my palm
with all your animal spirits

I want to capture
this moment
I want to capture
your beauty

I close my eyes
and picture you under glass
your fragile wings pinned to a fabric-coated board
paralyzed

I envision the sun blazing
on your motionless outline
behind the framed glass
gradually transforming you
to parchment accursed to decay

My gloomy vision
chills me to the bone
and I yank my eyes open
to get back to reality

I watch the sunbeams
reflecting on your vans
converting them to
a cascade of colours

Keeping my eyes
fixed on you
I take in every fraction
of beauty itself
deeply inhaling the scent of it
letting it touch my innermost everything

I can feel the tears coming
as my own tiny butterfly wings
gently start stirring somewhere inside of me
calling me to all the places
I could go
and beyond

I realize that
the essence of beauty
is freedom

I will not try to imprison you
in a life that might never be yours
you‘re free to fly to
wherever your dreams
might lead you to

And I will always remember this peaceful moment of letting you go