The Butterfly Effect

internally lit, incandescent,
a tiger swallowtail
landed, rested

on my daughter’s hand.
She stood still
and wooed as it rested.

After a few moments
it flew, and she whispered
she could smell

the butterfly, flight
scenting the air.
I wanted to caution her

about the scientific truth,
but swear to you,
I smelled it too.

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Jeff Burt lives in Santa Cruz County, California, with his wife and a July abundance of plums. He has also contributed to Heartwood, Williwaw Journal, Red Wolf Journal, and River Styx Magazine. He won the Cold Mountain Review 2017 Poetry Prize, the 2017 Heart Poetry Prize, and the Sheila-Na-Gig Winter 2020 Poetry Prize. He has a poetry book, The Root Endures, from Sheila-Na-Gig Editions. He has a digital chapbook available from Red Wolf Editions, and a chapbook about his father from Red Bird Chapbooks.