A Butterfly is a Butterfly

a poem by Christuraj Alex

It was a bright beautiful morning!
A bunch of human beings
Who claimed themselves, butterfly watchers
Entered into a beautiful garden
Filled with butterflies
Of various colors, forms, shapes, structures, sizes…
Observing and analyzing
Diverse aspects of butterflies

This was what, by way of thought, they said:
Witnessing the strife toward
Existence of the butterflies, they said:
Strife is the bliss of life…
Noticing the solemn flying nature, they said:
Single-mindedness is the sense of duty…
Perceiving the mutual relationship,
Between the butterflies and flowers, they said:
Agape all times alters altitudes,
As in deserts, an oasis alters even altitudes…
Seeing the young and old, men and women,
Running after the butterflies, they said:
Fly after butterflies, that you might feel
As though born-again…
Discerning the temporary and tentative
Nature of the butterflies, they said:
One must know that life is nothing but
Just a quintessence of dust…
Judging the nature of butterflies,
This way and that, they said:
Neti… Neti… which means
Neither this nor that
Pondering over the short and flimsy
Life-span of butterflies, they said:
Laissez-faire…

Thus, the so-called butterfly watchers
Went on creating various concepts
Philosophies and theologies on butterflies
But, the butterflies, just kept on flying
And fluttering around characteristically–
Calm
Quiet
Composed
Carefree
Normal
Natural
Unruffled
Untroubled

This is because –
Whether one appreciates or depreciates a butterfly
One should know the actual fact, that –
Ultimately –
A butterfly is a butterfly!