Jars

Jars


Momma says I shouldn't blame myself for butterflies leaving.
She says they go their ways because they have to-
because life is too short for any one thing not to grow.


But Momma never lived in the jar.


The butterflies all go,
from my stomach and out my mouth
where words should have been.


But those things are in the jar.


Butterflies don't live well locked up
never spoken of
and hidden in closets away from Momma.


I should have opened the jar sooner.


So when Momma says I shouldn't blame myself for butterflies leaving-
I do.
Because life is too short for me not to live with them too.


Open jar- hovering closely.


-Matthew Koutzun


for L.