Wisdom of Butterflies by Jean Janicke

When running footsteps

sway flower stems,

a butterfly net brushes

white blossoms, sends

dandelion fluff flying,

scent of sunscreen

mingles with child’s sweat,

a small girl’s shadow

blackens grass blades,

it’s time to fly.

Artist’s Statement

This poem is inspired by childhood summers.  I think it was my grandmother who gave me the butterfly net.  I ran and ran and never caught anything, Now I can see how alarming it would be to have this child running toward you, am I glad the butterflies flew away in self-defense. 

Jean Janicke turned to poetry in the pandemic and has embraced the life-long learning that reading and writing poetry offers. She lives in Washington, DC.  Her work on the natural world has appeared in Feral, Paper Dragon, and Green Ink Poetry.