A World Without Butterflies
a free verse poem
A World Without Butterflies
Kingdom Animalia, Order Lepidoptera Class Insecta
Status: declining due to habitat loss, climate change, insecticides
I do not want to live in a world without butterflies. Without the intricate eyes on velvety wings, graceful splashes of color dancing on the breeze. Airy, delicate keepers of hope Metamorphic symbols of change, growth, maturation.
I do not want to live in a world without butterflies. A place where they only exist in oil on canvas or silver trinkets on a chain, in language, legends we pass to the next generation of memory-keepers, a place where tiny ghosts have painted wings.
I do not want this world without the butterflies. I could not bear the wailing of flowers.
Kingdom Animalia, Order Lepidoptera Class Insecta Butterflies and moths to the flame
— and we are the flame
Author’s note: This poem is featured in my first book entitled “organic” which is Fiddleheads & Floss vol 1. You can also view a reading from the book at A reading from organic.
Christina Ward is a poet and nature writer from North Carolina. Her work has been featured in the Cameo literary magazine, the Arrowhead literary magazine, Vita Brevis Poetry Magazine, and in Wolff Poetry Literary Magazine. She is currently working on her first poetry chapbook.
