The Butterfly
By Justin Lee
The caterpillar thought,
"Gee my life really sucks.
I see so many pretty things
Whenever I look up.
I want to touch those pretty things,
But on the ground I'm stuck
So, I'll build some walls around myself
Just to escape this rut."
He built the walls around himself,
And safe the insect felt
But, soon he found that
Who he used to be began to melt.
The caterpillar changed
And in his brain an idea sparked,
"This place is much too cramped for me,
And very very dark."
He struggled to break out,
But he was scared that he would fail.
"I need somebody else
To break me out of my own jail!"
A man heard his cry,
And with kindness in his heart,
He took his knife in hand
And broke the bug's cocoon apart.
The butterfly broke out
To reach the things he used to seek,
But when he spread his wings,
Sadly he found they were too weak.
Another caterpillar knew
That she could reach the moon
If she only struggled hard enough
To break through her cocoon.
The fight was long and hard but,
When she finally broke free,
She spread her wings and flew
To places higher than the trees.
She saw her friend stuck on the ground,
And flew to him with love,
To carry him up high
To see the world from up above.
Her wings were strong, but even she
Could not lift up her friend.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot fly
While bearing your burden."
He watched her fly away until
In the clouds she was lost.
"I would have tried much harder
If I knew what it would cost."
So when the world seems dark,
And there are things that make you cry,
Remember you must struggle now,
So later you can fly. ■