The Butterfly

ALVIN
A Neat Career.
A story about Thomas.
THOMAS
Okay.
My college application required a sample of my writing, a short story, and I had nothing.
I'd been writing things down for years but nothing resembled an actual story.
So, in a panic I went to find Alvin at the store to tell me what to do.
ALVIN
There's gotta be thousands of stories in that head of yours, Tom.
Just pick one and write it down.
THOMAS
So I picked one and wrote it down. Three hundred and fifty words amounting to,
I suspected, a pile of cr*p. So, I decided to read it to Alvin and let him decide if it was
any good at all.
(Thomas reads.)
The Butterfly. By Thomas Weaver.
ALVIN
The Butterfly?
THOMAS
Yeah.
IN A FAR OFF LAND
THERE LIVED A BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY,
IN A KINGDOM FULL OF BLOSSOM COVERED TREES
AND WINDING THROUGH THIS PARADISE
A RIVER DANCED ALONG
AND PLAYED WITH THE CONSTANT SUMMER BREEZE.
(Thomas hesitates, losing confidence.)
ALVIN
Keep going.
THOMAS
THE BUTTERFLY
FOUND A TINY BRANCH AT THE RIVERSIDE
AND WATCHED THE WATER RUSHING WHO KNOWS WHERE.
CAREFULLY HE SHELTERED
FROM THE POWER OF THE BREEZE
FOR SURELY IT COULD TOSS HIM THROUGH THE AIR.
“I'M A BUTTERFLY,”
HE SAID,
“TRIVIAL AND SMALL
AND IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS
I DON'T MEAN MUCH AT ALL,
SO I'LL FLAP MY WINGS TO STRETCH MYSELF
AND JUST ENJOY THE VIEW.
I'M A BUTTERFLY, WHAT MORE CAN I DO?”
ONE AFTERNOON THE BUTTERFLY ASKED THE RIVER,
"MADAM, WHAT MAKES YOU HURRY SO?
WHAT SPLENDID DESTINATION
ARE YOU RIPPLING TOWARD?
WHERE, OH WHERE DO YOU GO?"
THE RIVER SAID, “I'M HEADED FOR THE OCEAN,
AND THE SUMMER BREEZE INSPIRES ME TO RACE.
MY FRIEND, YOU'D LOVE THE OCEAN.
IT'S REMARKABLE TO SEE.
WON'T YOU JOIN OUR FRIENDLY CHASE?”
“I'M A BUTTERFLY,”
HE SAID,
“TRIVIAL AND SMALL
AND IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS
I DON'T MEAN MUCH AT ALL,
SO I FLAP MY WINGS TO STRETCH MYSELF
AND JUST ENJOY THE VIEW.
I'M A BUTTERFLY, WHAT MORE CAN I DO?”
SO THE BUTTERFLY, HE DREAMED OF THE OCEAN.
HE LONGED TO FLUTTER HIGH ABOVE THE SEAS,
BUT THERE ARE DANGERS IN THE SKY
FOR A TINY BUTTERFLY.
SO FROM HIS BRANCH
HE ASKED A QUESTION OF THE BREEZE.
"WHAT MAKES YOU CHASE THE RIVER
T'WARD THE OCEAN?"
THEN THE BREEZE TOLD HIM A MOST AMAZING THING.
“I'M SIMPLY MADE UP OF THE CURRENTS IN THE AIR
THAT START FROM THE MOVEMENT OF YOUR WING,
YOUR TINY WING.”
“YOU'RE A BUTTERFLY MY FRIEND,
POWERFUL AND STRONG
AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE WAY
YOU'VE ALWAYS HURRIED ME ALONG.
WHEN YOU FLAP YOUR WINGS TO STRETCH YOURSELF
IT MIGHT SEEM SMALL TO YOU
BUT YOU CHANGE THE WORLD
WITH EVERYTHING YOU DO.”
SO HE STRETCHED HIS WINGS
AND TOOK OFF FROM THE SAFETY OF HIS TREE
AND THE BUTTERFLY FINALLY SAW THE SEA.