you give me Queen Alexandra's Birdwings.
they barely fit inside these ribs, two stretched across the waist overlap,
and flap,
impatiently.
These butterflies will break bones. Break boundries.
Queen Alexandra's create kisses,
and cling.
Endangered and restricted,
they just don't make 'em like this anymore.
If they had beaks, they'd be birds.
If I was bigger, they'd be eagles.
But the world's too small, too cluttered,
for even butterflies, now.
Shot down,
with shotguns.
Take sanctuary, Alexandra's,
between my bones.
You are safe there.

a/n: rough. unfinished. I'm out of practice.
This is about the largest butterflies in the world. Fourteen inch wingspan.
I sort of forgot I was supposed to be metaphorical.