Meeting Love

Image – June Perkins

I met him at the butterfly house
in the zoo.

I remember butterflies
settling all around him
drawing attention to his presence.

He was so still.

A small girl, with a rainbow hat,
watched the scene
but she giggled and jumped
– the butterflies scattered.

Delighted at their flight
she grabbed her mother’s hand
and they moved on to follow the butterflies
further into the enclosure.

But my eyes could not;
they remained on the still man
who seemed to remain in a sublime moment.

He blinked and then
looked straight towards me.

I blushed
to be captured staring
which was not something
I normally did so indiscreetly.

A smile settled in his face
and he said ‘Whenever I come here I remember home.’
this was our opening .

I would usually have brushed such a greeting away
as I liked to keep to myself
when…