Wednesday 2 May 2012

The Iron Butterfly


She was a fiery woman.
Never frail.
She had battles to fight.
She had foes to vanquish.
Not a moment
did she spend in vain.

She could burn fortresses at will.
She would tend to gardens if she wanted to.
Lucky enough to know her well
were only a privileged handful.
She loved having her little secrets.
She loved being cryptic.

A woman of absolute strength was she.
Revered by those who knew the true her,
reviled by those who envied her maverick ways.

But wasn't she a human?
Wasn't she an emotion-filled woman?

Maybe she stayed in touch
with that side of her
through solitary nights
and silent tears
that would cleanse her heart.

Maybe. We'll never know.