such creatures and then

a blow to the head will shake the cobwebs out.

even the most beautiful of butterflies,
unique and vibrant,
full of life --
can get caught
in the web of the tantalizing arachnid,
shimmering in a dazzling cloak of lies,
disguising the vague and hairy shallow creature
just beneath.
and if he is ever so cruel,
as such things tend to be.
he won't just poison her,
and save her for his bedtime snack.
instead,
he will strip her of everything
that made her beautiful, and unique,
dining on her daily,
leaving her
ragged and afraid,
trapped against her will.
but such creatures
are also careless,
placing too much confidence
in their own toxic grip,
sometimes
just enough
for the butterfly
to find herself,
and become
who she used to be.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Neville]

Never a more true word writ and oh' so very sad......... Neville

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for visiting this piece. It's one of my favourites

[Neville]

I should jolly well think so too..

[jacob erin-cilberto]

great song...by Lesley...

and your poem is strong...reminds me for some reason of Marilyn Monroe...and how she was often used for her beauty...and was stripped down by the media...

excellent poem.

j.

[Lyn Anderson]

I definitely can see that. People like her suffer horrible emotional abuse.

[poet_feefee]

Such imagery "he will strip her of everything
that made her beautiful, and unique,
dining on her daily,
leaving her
ragged and afraid"
I imagine a butterfly with no wings left, unable to fly but alive. Free, but must find another way to move, another source of joy.

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you for your review. I will be sure to stop by more of your writes.

[Lydia Shutter]

A butterfly stuck in a spider's web...what a wonderful metaphor and great imagery this is! The thing is, the butterfly can't lose her beauty....she will have it eternally. Welcome back, KL....this rocks. Lydi**

[Lyn Anderson]

Thank you ever so much. I do appreciate your poems and your reviews.

[David Scott]

Ah, now this is the KL I remember.
Beauty out of pain. Honesty of the evil with hope for living in fullness and purpose.

[Lyn Anderson]

Good. And thank you. I haven't stopped writing, just took a break from the internet non necessities.

[Einstein Noodle]

haunting with a glimmer of hope ...yet remains sad .... she becomes who she use to be ... leaving becoming more to my imagination ... hues of florescence and blues .... she flies away but its just not the same ... great song choice ... 60's were the best! :)
E.

[Lyn Anderson]

It was tough, I didn't want one of these nasty new pop divas. I wanted a classic.:) I was born at the very end of the 60's -- Gore was well ahead of her time.