A butterfly in Baghdad

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Kim Olson
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Ugliness was everywhere
In this city of war and despair
Death was all around me
Hanging so heavy in the air

The buildings lay in rubble
There were remnants of exploded cars
Each day I felt new death occur
Carving more emotional scars

To feel the tremble of a bombing
And know life just ended for many
To hear the volley of the gunfire
Crushed my hope till there wasn't any

But then I saw a butterfly
The symbol of new life
And I knew someday there'd be an end
To all this ugliness and strife

It may not end tomorrow
Or even during our lifetime
But the ugliness will go someday
Beauty will once again sublime

I followed that little butterfly
To see where it might land
Just where would it find a flower
In all this dirt and sand?

It fluttered here and fluttered there
Searching for beauty in this place
It even once came up to me
And tried landing on my face

That butterfly never once gave up
In its search for what it wanted
It flew and flew and flew and flew
Its persistence never daunted

Then there in the middle of nothing
That ever once had given me hope
Was a pretty little flower
And then I knew that I could cope

At least one of two things will happen
With everything that you endure
It will tear you down and rip you apart
Or build you stronger than before

So look to the little butterfly
When you're at the end of your rope
Let it be your inspiration
And never EVER give up hope!