There is a quiet that only butterflies know.  It’s in the whisper of flight that they alone can hear, the fluttering of a million wings that passes unnoticed by most.  It is a sound like soft rain penetrating the canopy of a tropical forest, a rain made of shadows and colors and creatures who ride on the air.

There is a beauty that only butterflies possess.  It’s in the chalice of wings that contains hues of fire and ice, patterns both simple and complex, exquisite paintings nature alone can produce.

There is a strength that only butterflies show.  It’s in their flight on weightless wings held steady, their headlong travel against winds tossing them to and fro but which fail to stop them.

There is a serenity that only butterflies feel.  It’s the calm that rests upon a leaf, wings folded, eyes watchful.  It permeates the air surrounding them and infiltrates the soul that sets eyes upon them.

There is a power that only butterflies hold.  It’s the flame that burns from within, the light captured and set free in patterns unimaginable and dizzying.

There is a world that only butterflies see.  It’s the jungle of freshly mowed grass, the enticement of colors rich and rare that blossoms hold high, the mystery of daylight and long shadows.  It is a world we can only imagine.

There is a magic that only butterflies wield.  It’s in the spell cast by a million fluttering wings.

— — — — — — — — — —

Photos:

[1] Little glassywing (Pompeius verna)

[2] Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus)

[3] Hackberry emperor (Asterocampa celtis)

[4] Variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

[5] Cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

[6] Orange sulphur (a.k.a. alfalfa sulphur; Colias eurytheme)