Butterfly years
He said “How many years did you stay on earth?” – 23:112
A butterfly waits an entire afternoon
for another pair of wings to fly with
that’s like waiting two human years
stone still, pheromones firing
for a chance to dance
These years seem wasted
until you see
them dart and hang in symmetry
light travelling through one
ensnared by the other
like two church windows tripping
trapping enough light to stop time
until butterfly years become
a dance with eternity
They said: “We stayed a day or part of a day, ask those who account.” – 21:113
.
Taher Adel is a British-Bahraini poet and spoken word artist. He is currently completing his MA in Creative Writing and Poetry at the University of East Anglia. His poetry has also been published in Ambit, SMOKE Magazine, The New European and Poetry Salzburg Review.