Soul Dancer

death and grim reaper inspired

Death arrived unannounced

I offered him my soul

 

I wandered

throughout the land

in a field of wildflowers

I heard a whisper

“Your soul will be scattered like pollen”

a rusty red butterfly appeared singing praises

to the bringer of souls

the source of all flowers

 

I followed the blazing Queen

to a blossom emanating hues of a glorious sunset

inside the fiery depths I recognized myself

I ran from flower to flower

in each open bloom

I found fragments of my surrendered soul

 

Intoxicated by beauty

I abandoned these lost bits of soul

mine no longer

I embraced everything

 

That which I call my self

seemed to expand and grow

reaching beyond the customary boundaries of the flesh

the border separating me from nature dissolved

I consist of everything the world consists of

 

My departed soul had revealed itself

bits of my soul danced in the form of butterflies

on the wings of a Gulf Fritillary a dream was born

my whole being responded with joy

my mood was expressed as a bright blue sky

 

I looked to the heavens

gazed into myself

saw my soul everywhere

a spellbound dreamer awakens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gulf Fritillary butterfly photo from my garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Queen butterfly photo from my garden.

 

Reviews

[Texas]

Really nice. The impression I get is returning to nature after death. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. I like how if you read deeply, you find meaning behind the words. And if you just read it (no deep thoughts), you can still enjoy the pictures it paints. Great job.

[Shay Lyn]

This paints a beautiful and natural picture. Good job!

[Jesse Domingos]

It's really interesting. very very very vivid, i must admit i got confused with everything going around. Becoming pollen and seeing everything, having an omnipresence sight seeing the world, the universe and even the afterlife. But the words you use and this frog in the imaginary world you made is really good and beautiful. A really good poem, thank you and keep writing.

[Ry]

First of all, I love your butterfly pictures. The second one is my favorite because the yellow flowers are a nice addition to the butterfy's color. Second, I love everything about this poem: the imagery, the personification of death, and the beauty of death itself. This is my favorite part:

"That which I call my self
seemed to expand and grow
reaching beyond the customary boundaries of the flesh
the border separating me from nature dissolved
I consist of everything the world consists of"

[Emily]

Lovely.I think that the 4th and 5th stanzas could have transitioned better,but I like imagery. Phenomenal!

[John Jackson (El Juero)]

Beautiful! I thought about the before, during, and after of a vision quest. Loved the perspective, and the message here. Fantastic!

[imawriter]

Birth is not really the start. Death is not really the end. I do love this poem! Now you've inspired me to go and look for all those pics of butterflies that I took several summers ago! :-)

[Quinn Blackburn]

Transformative and beautiful, a stellar wordcrafting!

[pheasant]

Opening the mind... another kind
Of gift is spread along this bed
Of butterflies billowing into space
...A tribute to the human race

[JENY]

Wow…
Kudos to the poet you are…
It is a fantastic write….
The whole beauty..of your transformation…..
from the a limited being to limitless being…you captured in your lines…
excellent…

[Beth Wilcox]

This was beautiful.