The Butterfly Story

Butterfly says to me, you can’t help, but

change,

oh you can fight it but that just

slows it down, it don’t stop it.

I look at all your young faces and I see

Butterfly telling you to accept and move

with change.

You know Butterfly tells us about shape

shifting and you are all shape shifting

all the time.

When you feel them wings

coming on you ask yourself what

change are you in now?

Are you truly ready to fly?

Can you learn

the wind’s message?

Grandmother wind

will direct you, will you fight her or move

with her?

Butterfly Story as recounted by Ramapough elder Cindy Fountain to Chuck Stead in 2009. Photographs are of a dance by Cindy Fountain in 2018.