chrysalis
by gaily
a parable of sorts.....


This tale begins at a high school lunch table
With a quiet girl named Anne-Marie.
Enviously glancing at the popular crowd, and wishing
To live their glamorous life, the one she sees.
However, she does not dare to join them;
Anne Marie, shy and retiring, 
So she sits in the lunchroom and wishes
For some type of life, one worth admiring.
While deep inside
a butterfly
lies dormant in a chrysalis.

Years go by, and Anne-Marie
Decides to take charge of her life, bit by bit.
She joins a local fitness club 
In order to become more active and more fit.
The workouts, they invigorate her
As increasing weights she does employ.
Largely ignored by all around her,
All except a man named Roy, 
For he has spied
the butterfly
sleeping in a chrysalis.

Under Roy's helpful guidance
A change comes over Anne-Marie. 
Her body slowly is transformed
To amazing strength and muscularity.
She slowly comes out of her isolation 
And begins to embrace the world with joy.
Although these changes do delight her,
She sadly confides to her dear Roy
That she still denies
the butterfly
emerging from its chrysalis.

Exasperated, Roy pulls her to a mirror
And forces his dear Anne-Marie
To flex, to show to her her accomplishments,
All she had ever hoped to be.
"Take a good look at the body
You've carefully sculpted year by year.
One of strength and grace, muscle carved from marble...
A body deserving of one such as you, my dear.
You can't deny
the butterfly
that has emerged from its chrysalis."

And as she looks in the mirror
A change comes over Anne-Marie.
She sees the bulging of biceps and triceps
Alive with power and vascularity.
Her heavily muscled legs rippling with power;
Shoulders and back, a glorious sight to see.
With comprehension of his words
She hugs Roy with unbridled glee.
And as she cries
a beautiful butterfly
was liberated from its chrysalis.

Sometime later, an invitation
Finds its way to Anne-Marie.
Her class reunion time has come upon her;
However, she greets it with glee.
She carefully chooses an outfit to showcase
Her magnificent body, no longer retiring and shy.Her husband Roy proudly beside her, She walks into the room, head held high,
And hopes everyone will spy
that the butterfly
has discarded its chrysalis.

Much to her total amazement
All those she admired during high school years
Were now middle aged, glory days over
And  reminiscing of times never again to appear.
While those who were like herself, had decided
To change themselves, both mental  and physically
Were now the content ones at the popular table
While the others stared at them enviously
And with longing, spied
those butterflies,
each freed from every chrysalis. 

And now we leave out Anne-Marie
A happier, healthier person, who
Learned to discover the inner strength inside her
To accomplish what she set out to do.
And that happiness lies not in living the lives of others
But entirely in achieving goals to benefit the spirit within.
And if there is a moral to this small tale,
It's that... whatever personal growth one does begin,
Do not deny
one's butterfly
escape from it's chrysalis.