Butterflies By The Pool



On a bright sunny day in quite blistering heat,
I sat near my pool and dipped in my feet.
I wanted to relax and chill there for hours,
Surrounded by water and surrounded by flowers.

All I could hear were the birds when they sing,
An uplifting song that had a nice ring.
Over the fence, near a cluster of trees,
An orange butterfly floated on a light breeze.

I watched from the pool as it danced in the air,
And flew into my yard without any care.
It lit on a flower and began to drink,
Then gave me a smile and a quick wink.

I jumped to my feet, what did I just see?!
That orange butterfly! It just winked at me!
I rubbed my eyes, and then looked again.
Where once there was one, now there were ten.

Ten orange butterflies all looked my way.
They looked at me with something to say.
They cheered out praise with shouts of acclaim,
They cheered and they shouted, and then screamed my name!

What was happening?! Was this just a dream?!
I wondered to myself as they continued to scream.
I took a step towards them, then took a step more,
Then suddenly ten butterflies became twenty-four.

Some of them orange, and now some of them blue.
All of them colorful and in a bright hue.
As I stepped closer with step number three,
Twenty-four butterflies danced around me.

The butterflies danced, and I felt so alive,
Twenty-four butterflies became thirty-five.
The butterflies were the most beautiful I had ever seen,
The butterflies were now orange, blue and some green.

Where did you all come from?! I shouted out loud.
We’ve always been here, said a voice from the crowd.
The voice was a yellow butterfly that lit on my head.
We’re your family and friends, the butterfly said.

We were all caterpillars, once just like you,
That turned into butterflies and now we’re brand new.
We have evolved and we’re free from our past.
We flap our wings and we fly really fast.

We’re not our old selves, we’ve left them behind.
As beautiful butterflies there’s a new us to find.
We’re here to help you shed your old skin,
And help you transform and that starts from within.

We know as a caterpillar you made some mistakes.
But as a butterfly you’ll have what it takes.
So leave those mistakes where they belong: in the past.
Join us as a butterfly and you’ll fly really fast.

As all of the butterflies continued to chant,
I crawled over to a very tall plant.
With an exhale, that was very brief,
I crawled with my legs out onto a leaf.

I found a nice spot for my caterpillar to die,
Then took several breaths as a fresh butterfly.
I shed the old me and left my past on the vine.
Then flew into the air singing, the future is mine!
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Written on August 24, 2023

Submitted by bkizzle on December 20, 2023

2:47 min read
46

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABB CCDD EEFF GGHH IIJJ KKLL MMGG NNOO PPQQ MMRR SSTT UURR VVWW XXYY
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 2,642
Words 559
Stanzas 14
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Brian M. King

Brian M. King, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, has been writing stories, and poems, ever since he was able to put a pencil to paper. He’s a storyteller, poet, and screenwriter. His screenplays and poems have received awards in a variety of contests. His poem, The Surfer, which is featured in his debut poetry book, Out of the Darkness, was an October 2023 contest finalist. Brian can be found jotting down stories regarding topics such as overthinking, depression, anxiety, self-love, loneliness, self-transformation, and more. Brian lives in Greensboro, NC with his dog, Rocky, and his cats, Coco and Lulu. more…

All Brian M. King poems | Brian M. King Books

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3 Comments
  • NubianFantabulous
    Bless your heart, what an amazing mindset! Such lovely imagery. And I am here for it!!! This brightened my day. Thank you very much for sharing!
    LikeReply 13 months ago
  • Vixility
    There is very little doubt in me that this poem will place in the top three. It is well written, exceedingly creative, and is a representation of transformation that I have often meditated on (from caterpillar to butterfly). It is a very readable and (spiritually) very relatable poem. I just couldn’t stop coming back to it, hence my vote. 
    LikeReply 13 months ago
    • bkizzle
      Thank you for the kind words and your vote!
      LikeReply 13 months ago
    • Vixility
      My pleasure! I was utterly taken back when I didn’t see your poem in the top three spot. Such a commendable write this was—I’m a sucker for well crafted rhyme and meter and message. Your poem is that and more. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next. 
      LikeReply3 months ago
  • Katatat
    Butterflies by the pool seem to touch my soul I love the way the verses rhyme there is such a deep meaning behind this saying. You could say we are all caterpillars waiting to turn into butterflies.. I feel that there was a lot of thinking soul searching and deep meaning while writing this 
    LikeReply 23 months ago
    • bkizzle
      Thank you! Thank you for your vote!
      LikeReply3 months ago

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"Butterflies By The Pool" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 27 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/178220/butterflies-by-the-pool>.

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