A Butterfly's Wings Poem by Hayley Foster

Teardrops fell from Shelley’s face, as she held her mother’s hand
Sorrow filled her broken heart, as she fought to understand
Why her mom was dying, why she had to let her go
And as her fear grew stronger, Shelley felt her panic grow

For how would she survive without her mother guiding her along?
Giving words of encouragement, support to make her strong?
As Shelley started trembling, the tears continued down her cheeks,
She realized that the end was near, she’d prepared for it for weeks

But now here in that moment, Shelley couldn’t say good-bye
Instead she stood there silently as her mother watched her cry
And as if her mother read her mind, or maybe her heart,
She spoke her final words, intended to leave their mark

“There are so many things I need to say, so many things before I go,
But time is of the essence, so it’s important that you know…
That sometimes, you’ll feel powerless, believing you can’t win
What others think of you will be the image you hold within

“You’ll feel you have to follow quietly, at someone else’s pace,
And be the image on magazine covers, the perfect smiling face
With the pressure to be perfect, you’ll doubt yourself, and what you can be,
But I ask of you, dear Shelley, whenever you doubt yourself, stop and think of me

“For when I look into your eyes, I see a million stars,
Shining from within, all you’re magic and who you are
In your face, a flower’s blossom, a starlit winter’s night,
A butterfly’s wings spread gracefully, without effort taking flight

“A summer’s breeze and sunlight, colorful leaves found in the fall,
Springtime filled with new life; Shelley I’ve found it all
All in life that’s remarkable, when I look at you, I see
And if you can’t believe that of yourself, then at least believe in me”

Shelley listened closely, as her mother’s breathe grew weak,
She wanted to remember every word her dying mother fought to speak
“You can always make excuses, or you can make great plans,
You can bow your head in shame, or, Shelley you can take a stand

“And know how well deserved your place is in this world
Be a clear example, be a mentor to every girl
Take pride in all you are… a woman who is strong
Even when you stumble, when you feel you don’t belong

“For God had a part in making you, and all that’s on this earth,
And even if you don’t realize it, you have tremendous worth
For even though a butterfly may seem delicate…fragile to the eye,
Don’t you overlook the fact; it has what it takes to fly”

Shelley’s mother closed her eyes; her life on earth was gone,
But her words remained behind, giving Shelley the strength to carry on
For in her mother’s words, she heard a message reliable and true:
There is nothing in this world that a woman cannot do

Though there are often times when Shelley feels weak and small,
And it would seem easier to give into others, instead of proudly standing tall,
She finds herself thinking clearly of all the little girls on earth
Who feels so unimportant, not aware of their own worth

And then she hears her mother’s voice, from a breeze softly passing by,
“Don’t you overlook the fact, you have what it takes to fly”