THE SOUL GOES FOR A STROLL

My Uncle sleeps with pursed lips
as if kissed by a dream.

Perched upon this kiss
a butterfly sits

as if an Uncle's lips were the most natural
place for a butterfly to rest

or as if it were an illustration
of the soul (a symbol)

in a magical book
that explained such things.

Outside the trees breathe gently
inhaling & exhaling a soft whisper of wind.

Bees carve a map out of the air
for other bees to see.

Out on a limb
two birds sit & chit chat.

A fox(unseen)passes by
as if it had never been.

A big big bug topples off the top
of a tiny stone onto its back

wriggling its arms & legs
as if it were trying to swim

through the currents of its fear.

One of the gossiping birds
sees him as a tasty treat.

Eats him.

Inside the house's
El Greco shadows

a kitten exploring the newness
of the world it finds itself in

jumps onto the sleeping statue
of an Uncle

with a butterfly
perched upon its lips.

Kitten tumbles ooops
into my Uncle's crotch

before climbing the mountain side
that is his chest.

Takes a swipe at the soul
pretending to be a butterfly

just as my Uncle
awakens to this reality

& his soul flits just
out of reach

between the fireplace
& the mantle piece.