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Mama Butterfly

baby butterfly
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Pretty Mama Butterfly

and brand new baby Jade

snuggled down into the leaves

of Springtime’s Everglade.

 

Mama whispered, “Little love,

you’re beautiful; it’s true.

One day you will do great things.

Yes, I believe in you.”

 

As time passed on, sweet baby Jade

grew old enough to play.

So, out she ventured through the leaves,

on a warm, sunshiney day.

 

Nearby, a group of bully bugs

laughed at her “ugly” green.

With feelings hurt, she crawled straight home

and hid ’neath Mama’s wings.

 

Jade told her Mama all they said,

how ugly she must be!

“I look so different than the rest

this green is wrong for me!

 

The others all have rainbow wings

and here I am with none.

They all are colored sunny-bright;

I’m green—the only one!

 

I don’t even look like you;

you’re pretty head to toe.

Why can’t I be like all the rest?

I don’t want my green to show!”

 

Sad-eye’d Mama butterfly

sat Jade upon her knee.

“My little one, come snuggle close

while I tell you what I see.

 

Your green is sparkling in God’s eyes;

a beautiful emerald hue.

Don’t ever think you’re ugly, dear,

you are uniquely you!

 

God made you for a special work.

One day, His plan, you’ll see.

So lift your head and dry your tears;

you’re as lovely as can be.”

 

When morning came, Jade climbed from bed

and crept across her floor.

She inched along to face the day,

just as she had before.

 

When Mama came to say hello,

she gasped in sweet surprise!

Where caterpillar bumps had been,

wings stretched up to the skies!

 

“My Jadey! Look and see yourself;

see what the Lord has done!

You’ve grown into a butterfly—

come step into the sun!”

 

As Jade looked in the dewdrop mirror

Her face, indeed, had changed.

No longer was she long and green,

now she was something strange!

 

She did not know just how to feel;

she didn’t look quite right.

Her color was still shiny green.

Her wings looked like a kite!

 

Instead of seeing beauty there,

she feared what kids would say.

So off she flew, right out the door,

she just would run away.
 

As Jade raced on with tear-stained cheeks,

she saw a crowd below

of the bugs that called her awful names

and made her feel alone.

 

Yet, at that moment, high above,

a bird spotted them too

and started zooming—lightning speed!

Jade knew just what to do.

 

She landed close and stretched her wings—

“Be quiet. Not a word!”

Jade threw her wings across them all

and prayed against that bird.

 

It perched upon a nearby branch,

quite hungry from its flight,

but Jade’s green wings looked just like leaves

and hid them all from sight. 

 

The bird, confused, took to the air;

its food somehow escaped.

Then one by one, each head poked out

from where Jade’s wings were draped.

 

Right then, she knew why God had made

her different from the rest.

What she had thought was ugly green,

Jade now believed was blessed.

 

The happy crowd apologized

for laughing at her color.

She hugged them close and headed home

to quickly find her mother.

 

She found her Mama butterfly

there waiting at the door,

and words poured out in flitting verse

of how wrong she was before.

 

“I’m special just the way I am;

my color’s part of me!

Mama, I can do amazing things,

and I’m proud God made me green.”

©Cassie N. Lung

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