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Poem: “Butterfly Effect”

Butterfly Effect

The little girl has caught the yellow swallowtail
She holds it prisoner in a jar –
Release it, child, release it soon
Quickly, quickly
It is the butterfly effect’s
Epitome
For when the wings have fluttered once
The tides commence
And when the wings have fluttered twice
The ocean’s flood tide will return

But if you do confine it to that jar
There will be famine, plague and universal war
That one, that one that you detain
Whose fragile wings induce the clouds to rain

Pavel
May 7, 2011


Pavel Chichikov is a Washington DC-based poet and photographer. He has written for both the secular and the Catholic press on issues as diverse as Russian nuclear weapons systems, Olympic athletes, and miracles. His books include From Here to Babylon: Poems by Pavel Chichikov,  Lion Sun: Poems by Pavel Chichikov, Mysteries and Stations in the Manner of Ignatius, and Animal Kingdom. Pavel may be heard reading his works on catholicradiointernational.com and on pavelreads.com. His poetry regularly appears on "The Poetry of Pavel Chichikov."