! Butterfly Lessons In Philosophy Poem by Bob Blackwell

Butterflies flitter about, some fly by rapidly, and others seem to just float past your eye. I often wonder at their beauty of flight and feel quite envious that I cannot do the same. Life I suppose can be a little like that; sometimes events go by rapidly, while others, they seem to meander up and down flying slowly through our minds. It is the rapidly moving ones that irritate me; most events come and go so quickly. You look forward to something for months and when it eventually arrives it is over in a tick of the clock. Leaves you sometimes to wonder why it happened and why you looked forward to it so much. The slower events in time, which are really the ones we experience everyday can be so beautiful and thought provoking, that they last for a longer period of time. Then we have the earth shattering events that come like the butterfly you have never seen in your garden before that grabs your interest. These can grip you so strongly, that eventually it dawns on you that this is something worthwhile pursuing. The idea grows and grows, before you know it, you are on a different path in life, which is hopefully leading you to a better one. This can be very exciting and fulfilling. It is the same as when all those years ago, a lady showed my wife and I a paradise flycatcher; we have been bird watching ever since.

It is amazing how we quietly go about our affairs from day to day, and the time slips by quickly month-by-month, then year-by-year, before we know it, we are nearly at the end of our time. We look back and wonder how we really got, to this moment in time, without an honest thought, to what we are actually doing, with this wonderful life we have been given. Surely it is better to stop and think about our life now, take notice of what is actually going on, what we are doing, how we think, and where we are actually going. I don’t know, but it seems so logical, to have a thought or sight which is so inspiring, it makes us change our attitude, our life. After all we only have one life that we know of, having a second one would be wonderful, but surely it is better to enjoy this one now, than hope for another one that could be better. We are good at making our own hell on earth, surely it is better to enjoy the world for the heaven that it is.

A butterfly’s life is so short, I wonder if the ones that fly fast have as good a time as the ones that float slowly past our eyes. The slower ones would certainly see more than the fast ones. More flowers and their nectar are spotted. They can stop more often to enjoy life’s garden, it makes sense to be slower I suppose. Less haste more speed they say, I believe less speed then more understanding comes. Take your time you’ll find it will last longer and mean more. A very useful exercise is the one that makes you slow down to a rest in order to experience the present.

When we take time to listen to our own true self, life-changing miracles can happen. We are so busy listening to our own thoughts about the past and future that we miss the joy that is present now. We have beauty all around us, why not stop, and see, how happy you can be.

Butterflies cannot think so they are always in the present. This means they have no thoughts of past or future, to spoil their lives. Yet I expect it would be nice if they could think and talk. They are so beautiful to see, I am sure their thoughts will be just as beautiful. “What did you see today butterfly”? “I noticed a beautiful bird drinking from my flower; it was so pretty that I forgot it was supposed to be mine”. This made me think that the bird, the flower, and everything else in this wonderful world are here for us all to enjoy. It’s a pity we as people cannot see this. We do not share amongst ourselves, never mind the other inhabitants of the planet!

Butterflies are real; they have beauty with a purpose, to help provide for other lives. Butterflies are also quiet; they do not make a noise, so why do we notice them? Their colour draws our attention to them. They announce their presence by simply being here, and because of their beauty we notice them. A tiny seed grows into an exquisite flower, quietly without noise, when it blooms, no trumpet call to announce its presence; once again it is its beauty, which makes us take note.

This is true of all of nature’s remarkable surprises. If we remain silent like a butterfly or seed, amazing things will also happen to us. Also by being quiet, we will be able to listen for and not miss, the opportunities life gives us. It is in this silence, this Golden Silence; we will realise that our constant thoughts of past and present just, confuse our view of life. A Butterflies life from birth to death
is programmed, it has sight so it can see the way, but it lives unselfishly spreading pollen the seed of love, to germinate the other flowers. By doing this it ensures a food source for other butterflies and creatures. Provisions for the future lives to come, ensures food source continues. Surely we can learn from such intelligent banking? Butterflies are clever!

Butterflies you might say do not have a choice; they have only one way of life. This is true, but their impact on our world though small, is wanted. However we have many, many, choices, but it is how and what we choose, that determines what our worth will be.

By choosing right, your role in life becomes worthwhile, your help is needed, your love respected, and your effect upon our world is like a butterflies visit to many flowers, it’s good.

By choosing wrong, you do harm, damage self, harm others, you give no love, and your effect upon our world is bad. A lone Butterflies visit to just one flower has more worth than you.

Surely it is better to be like a butterfly, spreading love, sharing happiness, giving life, sharing beauty, and giving lessons on how to lead a happy life.


Sitting here, writing down,
words that come to me,
I wonder why, they come to me.
They should be here for all to see.