country poetry & more

Chasing Butterflies

I’ve wondered at the stilted phrase - “pursuit of happiness”,
and picture in my mind a child so pure
who chases lovely butterflies, all flighty and elusive;
futility in motion, that’s for sure!
The way to find true happiness is thinking first of others.
Then the butterfly will softly light and rest.
Each day of service brings rewards beyond mere fame and fortune.
The humble servant is supremely blest.
To look for satisfaction in worldly wealth or splendor
out in the future toward the great unknown
negates the present moment, so fleeting, rare and precious,
the only time we have to call our own.
When you stop to smell the roses, pick a few to share with others,
add rays of sunshine where the light is dim.
If you see someone without a smile, give him one of yours.
Uplift the sad and lonely with a hymn.
A little loving kindness comes free just for the giving,
and reaps immense rewards to warm the heart.
Two lives can be enriched by an act of selfless beauty:
the butterfly that never will depart.

Cora Gail Trent
www.cgtrent.com