by Keely Richins
Pinned
Truth pinned down like a bug for observation,
Secure, lifeless, still, but poised as if in motion, flightless existence.
Measured, constant, finite, and studied within the confines of theology.
Not meant for the glass box on display,
Truth resurrects, takes flight in questioning
Changeable creature flits in and out of sight,
Ever dancing as it is chased through the changing seasons.
Sometimes, the chase is joy.
Sometimes, disorienting.
Sometimes truth disappears from view, overcome by long fields of weeds and wildflowers.
I wander in search of its memory, surprised in discovery of new cocoons.
I wonder at their beauty.
Is this the beginning? Is that where it ends?
Leave them, have patience.
No jar needed to learn from their journeys. Spinning, growing, changing, becoming.
Maybe truth will set you free,
I prefer to set the truth free.
Keely is a reader, runner, proud Utah native, Idaho backpacker, nightgown wearing millennial, friend, and rabbit-owner. She loves to laugh, be outside, and push herself outside of her comfort zone. She lives a thrilling life with a CPA and three kids in a home with a red door.
Photo credit: Borchee, Butterfly and Sunset, istock
4 Responses
I appreciate the image of truth as an evolving, moving, beautiful thing. Thank you!
This is a beautiful metaphor for your poem and I resonate with your longing to set truth free and to revel in its elusive, evolving, and mysterious nature!
I love the relatable imagery. Measured within the confines of theology…
Same here—thank you for this stunning metaphor. It reminds me of where I met God’s presence in the infinitely vast and infinitely small of physics. For tiny particles (like electrons), it’s impossible to know their location and speed at the same time. Measuring one comes at the cost of being able to measure the other.
How often do we “pin down” Truth’s exact location (like the butterflies of the OP) at the expense of being able to learn how fast it can fly? At the expense of seeing what pattern its orbit traces around The Way, The Truth and The Light?