unbecoming

by ian hanna
(toronto, canada)

one-hundred ways to be
(a butterfly)

the first seventy five or so are
about caterpillars
and ignorance

ground bound leaf chewer
looks up at the sky
in fear

the first seventy five butterfly things
are about caterpillars
slung low and inching
one self length at a time

the one hundred things about being
a butterfly are mostly about
being a caterpillar and staying alive
just long enough

to learn the last one or two things
about being a butterfly
are about forgetting
caterpillar things
not getting wrapped up
in getting wrapped up

forgetting about the one
hundred legs
the aching knees
the fear of the sky

and learning about
the wings