Swallowtail

The swallowtail butterfly
landed on the impatiens.
Landed like a yellow leaf
in front of Jackie,
a few inches from his eyes.
A remarkable God thing,
stripes of a tiger,
the silence of stealth,
and Jackie spoke to it,
his words still being born,
a little God man.
Wings of a yellow sun,
a gold cocoon,
the earth unfolding a flower.
I held the exhalation of my breath,
time was still,
and I heard the everlasting
come like a song
from the laughter of a boy.