“Butterflies are free,” my Mom said to me.
Their beauty and grace were put on this place
To dance on the air and enchant our space
In time.  And then these creatures of beauty and love
Transcend to a level so far above
Leaving only the memory of beauty and love.

Source of Inspiration for Creatures of Love
After I returned home to Florida following my Mom’s funeral, I was standing in the garden watering my babies (my plants) when a beautiful zebra butterfly dance by my head.  I began to recall all of the butterflies I encountered as I packed up my Mother’s things.  There were butterfly pictures, butterfly figurines, a butterfly scarf, even her wall paper had butterflies.

As I watched the zebra butterfly dance around my head, I suddenly felt my Mom’s presence.  She was dancing on the air as she had not been able to do in her wheelchair.  She was free to dance at last!  And she was there to tell me it was “Ok”, and that she would always be there for me.

Then the poetic words of “Creatures of Love” filled my head.  I put the words on paper, using this poem in my thank-you notes to the kind people who sent their condolences.  Surprisingly, I had numerous people to call to comment on the poem.  This was also my first published poem, published in the book, Surrounded By Dreams, The National Library of Poetry. 1998.