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Kuang’s Dream
by quin Tuesday, Sep 7 2010, 10:06am
international / prose/poetry / literature

Butterfly Nebula

a butterfly dreaming it’s a man
or a man’s continuous
dream …

of a butterfly beating
the warm summer air
travelling on scented
air-streams
and landing
delicately on
perfumed flowers
to feed.

tubular proboscis
probing sensitively
for the prize,
the nectar --
every flower’s gift
to specialised feeders;

light as the breeze,
butterflies
easily navigate needles,
thorns, brambles and
and other traps/obstructions
designed to keep
the less skilled at bay.

Kuang awoke one morning to discover
that he was indeed a nectar-feeding
butterfly imbibing heartily
a rare flower’s intoxicating
ambrosia.

traps designed to protect
the prize
present no problem
to Kuang’s delicate manoeuvres.

undaunted by spiny thorns,
barbs and needles
he feasts on secret
essences, easily
extracting the very best
and leaving the dross
for the less skilled and able.