butterfly

birdwings

your grief for what you've lost lifts a mirror
up to where you are bravely working.

expecting the worst, you look, and instead,
here's the joyful face you've been wanting to see.

your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralysed.

your deepest presence is in every small
contracting and expanding,
the two as beautifully balanced and coordinated
as birdwings.
~rumi

the black and orange butterfly in the middle
of the cobblestone path was bowing..namaste..
the wings were folded in to one another..
uncertain whether this being was alive, asleep
or in deep meditation, i bent down..
leaned in to see the presence.

since i cannot seem to leave well enough alone,
the butterfly was soon in my open palm..
she or he..opening and closing like birdwings..

after lighting a slender, golden beeswax candle
to the essence of all that suffers..
receiving again the sweet bread from evthemeia ~
i went straight home, placed the butterfly on the offering bread
and continued the day of writing..practice..

remembering often to peek into the energy
of this butterfly that had landed on my heart..
a dear friend would say:
i was tending to this papillon as a holy task.

gently i would move it from the sun,
chanting the heart sutra -
then on to the green leaves of the garden plants..
reciting the medicine buddha mantra -
and again, on to the moist dirt..
om mani padme hum -
this hushed creature would have no rest with me about...

as the eventide cooled and darkened..
i brought the butterfly in from the roof garden
laying him/her to rest on the stone which also
holds the candle of the holy mother..always lit..these days.
deciding that may be a bit too hot,
i set a shell betwixt the two..to temper..to soothe..
the wings slowly, tenderly pulsing -
opening and closing..like bird wings..

in the morning, i went to the red candle glow..
where was this butterfly?
adding more light...hidden..
i lifted the candle..
there under the warmth, the brilliance..
in full stretch..wings expanded..transfigured ~
the orange and black butterfly

in memory..
please listen to :
o' connor's - butterfly's day out
essential yo-yo ma