September 22nd

Innocence


Black and orange butterfly --
Flying joyously.
Wings like a nun's hands:
First fold in prayer,
Then open in offering.


The world moves toward war. Leaders increase their rhetoric. Armies mass along the border. The world, it seems, never tires of conflict. We should remember the innocent in life. The delicate, the gossamer, the beautiful. A butterfly lives for a day. It comes into the world with very little reason except to fly and mate. It does not question its destiny. It does not engage in any alchemy to extend its lifespan or to change its lot. It goes about its brief life happily.
A butterfly is always attracted to the beautiful. Whether it is the sun on a blade of grass or the edge of a deep ruby rose, the butterfly spends its brief time dwelling on loveliness.
Even the angry and insane leave the butterfly alone. Why can we not learn to honor the innocence in one another? Maybe we spend too much time dwelling on the ugly. In the name of practicality and realism, we think about strategy, defense, territory, gain, and advantage. We are too late to be like the butterfly. But at least we can honor it, and move as closely as possible to its simple existence.

Personal Interpretation

  Simplicity is the key to an enjoyable life. The more we amass, the more complicated life becomes. The more we think on things that are beyond our ability to change, the less we live in the moment. Let us strive to be more like the butterfly who is content to live its short life in peace. It is innocence embodied, attracted to beauty in all its myriad forms. Perhaps a world of peace and prosperity is only a dream, but we improve our world with each and every effort we make toward tranquility. Let the butterfly be our guide.