Butterfly’s Ball

Inspired by The Butterfly’s Ball written by William Roscoe located in A Children’s Book of Verse, Illustrated by Eric Kincaid, Poems selected by Marjorie Rogers. (Brimax Books)

Letea looked around at faces of woebegone saying this is my first ball. Why can’t I go?

Father’s face weathered with stress and work looked at mother’s face filled with love and protective concern said with firmness of knowledge hard worn said “no”.

Tears of huge moons filled eyes of soft dreamy spacey brown saying why? Why? Why?

Mother repeated with look of contentment knowing Letea would understand and thank her later and told her to go to bed swift.

Small shoulders drooping with disappointment drug feet of sad upstairs of steep to close curtain of world of cruel outside far and wide

Listening to crickets sing songs of masquerade she looked at ceilings of bland and let her imagination fly her to place that none could go

Twinkling stars appeared in eyes of sweetness saw herself in gown of unearthly white of gossamer spidery blue at stairs of heaven’s door

Down below all watched her glide glide down each ivory enameled stair trimmed with laces of etch to her dream of sweet nature sad with look of joy restrained

Hooking arm of misery gone she smiled smiled cascading sunshine that defied time of rainbows of richness of thought of carmel kisses to follow

Watching at the sidelines was Crusoe, Roscoe, Flash, Grenade, Emerald, Makeel, Milla, Quirky, Wizard, Zapper, Diamond, Saphire, Magneta, Flash, Grenade Fire, Jasper, Jordan, Maleel, Majesto, Presna, Sumay, Jade Sudan from afar and near

Smiling, clapping with joy unrestrained yelling we are so happy was Little Zap, Little Jazzy, Renae, Sandy, Butch, Smiley, Snippet, Talsna, Telia, the Inspiration singing, Trinket, with echoes of harmony was The Trio Great, Vetoioa and William flying on wings of back of great fowl watching with awe

Grabbing form of full he whirled her around around around in arms of soft sweet emotion of song humming I love you with each swirl of psychedelic colors raining petals of rose, pink and white on forms of unbelievable beauty of effortless glide

Dance after dance they moved across floor of smooth cascading tears of happy lost immersed in eyes of brown lowered concealed

Finally after dances sequential of eight they took their rest on a swan’s back of pure white honesty that took the lovers on a ride of discreet mystery

Leaning back in arms of strong Letea looked at him with eyes of lowered peeps of question question question as blush after blush rained sweet kisses of heat on cheekbones of fresh dew

Grasping hand of hard she kissed palm to show her love of devotion true never to leave or be given to another suitor of new

Curling in arms of content was Lily of Adventure looking at him with curious adoring looks as she snuggled with purring adulation of being stroked stroked stroked as she began to nap

Greeting them in traveling trains was butterflies of so many that defy the eye to invite to ball of special magic where Harlequins danced danced pranced and began the masquerade of allure, romance and seductive night signaled the start of true adventure to start

Descending with grace of dainty quiet steps she curled her head in chest of hard smiling with content to be among the fairies the glow worm who lighted the sky as azure black rescinded until a petal pink mixed with lightest of purple down that smiled cascaded

Holding mask of white feathers coasted trimmed with green eyes of peacock mystery she and him stepped into dance the minuet ochato one to five percussions five

Keeping pace and step she watched with eyes of sweet love as he threw his head back to laugh with pleased respect as he watched tiny feet caress his as she laughed lovingly keeping step to step

Hearing a Conchone Shell blown on winds of enveloping thunder and purple lighting they returned home on swan of destiny, married and lived happily.

By Felicia McCaw