Softly now I stumble
My wings shiver in the breeze
A tremor through my body
And I shake it off with ease
Swiftly now, my legs unfurl
Beneath my hardened shell
I gently hum my tuneless song
No secrets yet to tell
As the wind is picking up
I hold ever tight to my cocoon
This my transparent chrysalis
My first flight beginning soon
I raise my wings and scales
Prepare to soar into unknown
Instead they flutter uselessly
And I’m falling like a stone
I skim the grass and hit the ground
My colours torn in shreds
If only I had remained safe
Inside my chrysalis
Sunlight cuts into my vision
Broken here I lie
No one to hear my quiet words
Or listen to my cry
Every breath is laboured
The wind is wet with rain
I want so much to taste the air
So much to try again
Instead the world is fading
As I unwind and slowly die
Trembling in a blackened haze
I exhale with a sigh