Breaking Free, Flying Free

i have seen the way of the caterpillar

starving for growth

searching for nourishing nutrients

the slow crawl of aching survival

~

every moment is both anguish and hope

the innate desire to strive for better

for life

for the dream of flying and reaching out to trail the stars with imaginary fingertips

~

there are lessons left in trails of tears

the saltiness left behind a reminder of the struggles overcome

memory in muscle movement

the imprint of being in the soil beneath you

~

there is patience wrapped around you

suffocating you with the desire to heal and fly away

it bleeds into your echoing essence

colours your being blue with belief

~

one day, the belief and hope and anguish

wrapped in leaves and layers of patience

they will pay off, and you shall shed

every pain that has pushed you, to fly away

~

be free child

I started writing this poem on the back of an unopened Hydro bill. Maybe I knew it'd be a charged poem. This poem carries a lot of weight for me right now. It's been hard. This poem is hard. But this poem is also the cocoon of patience that I am embodying to grow my wings.

This poem was the last challenge for James' and I's Summer Writing Extravaganza. The challenge was to write a butterfly poem- and I thank James for having this as the last challenge of the month. It was perfect, and perfectly fitting.

You can read all about our challenges below, and please feel free to try any of them out: