The Butterfly Catcher
"THE BUTTERFLY CATCHER."
Chicano face.
California.
closer to death.
he just pulled up to a house where the car he's about to tow sits.
he tows a lot of cars,
talks to people every day.
he's loaded his truck.
"goodbye,"
he says to the member.
a woman on the grass with her daughter.
"see you again soon."
he walks to his truck and is stopped by the woman's 5 year old daughter.
she's wearing a pink summer outfit, barefoot and her hair is flying in the wind.
she smiles.
she shows him her butterfly catcher and says,
"I catch a lot of butterflies with my net."
he asks her to catch him one and he'll be back to get it.
the little girl smiles.
she blows a kiss three times and the mother laughs.
she skips back to the grass.
before he could enter his truck she yells for him.
"hey !"
he turns and walks toward her.
she's holding the tiniest flower he's ever seen.
just picked,
she's given it to him.
his Chicano face smiles,
his heart of stone softens and he says,
"I love it. thank you."
he stood towering over her at six-four but she walked away taller.
her mother laughs again and says to the little girl,
"you're so funny."
after today,
he'll go home in his thirteen year old car with expired tags,
to his apartment house where the shades are drawn and the only light that hits,
touches his typewriters.
he'll light his cigarette,
pour his drink and sit with the flower courtesy of the little girl and her heart full of love.
in a world where innocence dies and the thumbtack faces prevail,
the butterfly catcher gives her love.
this is a love with no wounds to a man living with many.
as Bach plays in the background,
he sits and smiles.
earlier he had his symphony and her name was Emma.
by: Chicano Eddie
Copyright © Chicano Eddie | Year Posted 2020
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