My Uncle sleeps
with pursed lips
as if kissed
by a dream.
Perched upon this kiss
a butterfly sits
as if an Uncle's lips
were the most natural
place for a butterfly
to rest
or as if
it were an illustration
of the soul
(a symbol)
in a magical book
that explained such things.
Outside the trees
breathe gently
inhaling & exhaling
a soft whisper of wind.
Bees carve a map
out of the air
for other bees to see.
Out on a limb
two birds sit & chit chat.
A fox(unseen)
passes by
as if it had never
been.
A big big bug
topples off the top
of a tiny stone
onto its back
wriggling its arms & legs
as if it were trying to swim
through the currents
of its fear.
One of the gossiping birds
sees him as a tasty treat.
Eats him.
Inside the house's
El Greco shadows
a kitten
exploring the newness
of the world it finds
itself in
jumps onto
the sleeping statue
of an Uncle
with a butterfly
perched upon
its lips.
Kitten tumbles ooops
into my Uncle's crotch
before climbing the moutainside
that is his chest.
Takes a swipe
at the soul
pretending to be
a butterfly
just as my Uncle
awakens to this reality
& his soul
flits just
out of reach
between the fireplace
& the mantlepeice.
Dónall Dempsey
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-soul-goes-for-a-stroll-for-scarlett/
