Resilient Butterfly
By AJ
A beauteous resilient butterfly
Swims the vast boisterous sea
Lonely but determined to acquire its destiny.
It’s dark and the water is frigid cold.
Dangerous ravenous sharks with
Keen serrated teeth swim the sea.
Wind is turbulent.
The forceful ocean tosses violently.
It’s a long stretch way from
its yearning journey.
Delicate and refined are the wings
but the resilient butterfly keeps stroking.
They’re vigorous for the extensive and treacherous expedition.
In the middle of the sea
exhaustion began to effect the tiny butterfly.
Doubt invades the mind.
It began to struggle with the stroking, but swam gradually
The daring resilient butterfly halts
from exhaustion and uncertainty.
In the middle of the vast sea
At the distance a mass of multitude
of butterflies swim the sea to conjoin
the fatigued lone butterfly.
All the vivid butterflies swim
dauntless together in the vast
turbulent sea to arrive to their
lustrous destiny.
13 Comments
Leave a Comment
The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
Butterflies are beautiful, graceful, yet strong creatures. I love the way you described them throughout the poem. Like humans, butterflies need a community around them to help motivate them to keep going. But the definition of community can be anything you want it to be. It can come in the form of writing, it could be a close friend, a relative, or even a nice sunny day. This butterfly was able to find its support group. It was able to overcome the long, treacherous, journey it had to endure. This poem was beautiful.
Hi AJ,
I just read your poem and wanted to say how nice and smooth it was! As I was reading each line I was able to continue to envision what you were writing! One of the lines I enjoyed was “Doubt invades the mind” I find with this line comes a lot of truth, because doubt happens day in and day out where we I think everyone can relate too. The future and not knowing how it can pan out is sometimes scary, but letting that invade the mind sometimes can just make you have that struggle feeling. I liked the line because we all face these issues. I did like how at the end all the butterflies made their rounds back to the single butterfly, because standing alone is never easy. You have a strong poem that flows, a poem that is easy to Invision, and just has that calm nature behind it. Good job!
Thank you,
Anthony
I like the usage of resilient and treacherous expeditions. this poem is beautifully written and orchestrated. I appreciate the images of the butterfly, and how the butterflies could be interpreted in different ways, and how the butterfly could represent a person. the destint could represent a journey. well written and very cutesy.
Your poem beautifully captures the struggle, resilience, and ultimate triumph of the butterfly. The imagery is vivid, and the journey feels both personal and universal—persistence in the face of adversity.
A butterfly navigating a raging wave serves as a potent metaphor for tenacity in the face of hardship in this poetry. Particularly when illustrating the difficulties encountered—ferocious sharks, rough seas, and the onset of fatigue—the imagery is striking. Refining some parts, nevertheless, might improve the impact and flow. For grammatical accuracy, the sentence “exhaustion began to effect the tiny butterfly” should use “affect” rather than “effect.” Furthermore, the metaphor might be strengthened by explaining why a butterfly is in the sea rather than the sky, even though the shift from battle to oneness is heartwarming. Last but not least, certain sentences, like “Dangerous ravenous sharks with / Keen serrated teeth swim the sea,” might be improved by using more fluid language. It’s a powerful composition with a lot of meaning overall, but it might be even more powerful with a few changes. Continue your efforts!
This poem is deeply moving and the imagery captured is vivid, bright, and hopeful. Something I took from this is that connection and support from others is crucial in one’s ascent into a better version of themselves, or during a difficult journey. A butterfly is not alone in their expedition; they have the support of the other millions of butterflies enduring the same, difficult battles. No one is alone, and that is what often helps remind us that the pain is temporary but reaching the destination will last us a lifetime.
This poem tells a beautiful story of strength and determination. The butterfly faces challenges alone but keeps going, even when tired and unsure. In the end, it finds others and gains strength from them. The message is clear—stay strong, and you’re never truly alone.
One of the biggest points aiming to be conveyed in the poem, Resilient Butterfly, is the determination needed to get through times of hardship. The butterfly, fragile but relentless, overcame the harshness of the sea, the surrounding dangers, and the exhaustion of its travel, conveying the struggles of most humans as well. The turning point in the poem is when a group of butterflies arrive and give hope to the struggling one, symbolizing unity and hope. This is important because it reminds us that even in our loneliest battles, we’re never truly alone, and there is always someone to reach out to for help.
I love the powerful tone of this poem describing how a little, delicate butterfly can demonstrate perserverance against the treacherous world and fight through each obstacle to ‘arrive to their lustrous destiny’. The poem beautifully shows how anyone or anything, even an innocent butterfly, can do anything they put their work and mind to.
This poem beautifully symbolizes resilience and the strength found in community. The butterfly, though delicate and vulnerable, faces an overwhelming journey across a dangerous sea, mirroring life’s struggles and challenges. The vivid descriptions of the turbulent water, hungry sharks, and the butterfly’s exhaustion capture the inner turmoil of pushing forward despite doubt. The turning point, when other butterflies appear to join the journey, reflects the power of unity and support in overcoming adversity. The poem ultimately conveys a message of perseverance, hope, and the strength of collective effort to reach a shared goal.
Very clear visuals, beautifully written.
Butterflies are one of the neatest animals on earth in my opinion. They are truly amazing creatures. They have to have a lot of resilience for sure, just to survive. I feel like everybody relates to them, and this poem at least a little bit throughout their life.
This poem is so vivid and moving — the imagery of the delicate yet determined butterfly facing a vast and dangerous sea is incredibly powerful. It captures the essence of resilience so beautifully, showing how even when doubt and exhaustion creep in, the strength of community and support can help us keep going. The contrast between the butterfly’s fragility and its fierce determination makes the journey feel even more inspiring. This is a truly uplifting and beautifully written piece!