Thomas Truax – The Butterfly And The Entomologist lyrics

Out on the road I met a butterfly
She had a fantastic wingspan, almost two feet wide
She'd recently been injured and she could not fly
So she asked me if she could bum a ride
In the old shell of her chrysalis she carried her things
She tossed it in the back and stretched her beautiful wings
She sat there next to me with her front legs on the dashboard
Those wings folded behind her and her little head cocked forward
She told me her story, a price was on her head
This bastard entomologist pursued her live or dead
He'd vowed to hunt her down as there was a large reward
He'd captured her and drugged her and nailed her to a board
Her escape was narrow, she'd torn through her own wing
She saw my look of horror and she started to sing
"I'm going to a no man's land Because men and violence are intertwined"
Well, I see, I said.
But not all men are violent
I'm not a violent man myself
She laughed and said try not to get too attached to me
'Cause soon I will be well and I will fly away from thee
One night when we had stopped into a diner for a meal
She laughed and laughed about the plastic flowers on the tables
I started seeing through her eyes the passing desert scenery
She watched the birds and tumbleweeds
With fondness and with envy
We came across some sad road kill, a beautiful coyote
She sighed her butterfly sigh and once again sang softly:
"I'm going to a no man's land Because men and violence are intertwined"
Next morning as I came out of a Texaco station,
I saw she wasn't at the car, and I figured she had run
Then I heard her high squeal and I heard his low laughter
"You'll never out run me" he said, "you are the girl I'm after."
I chased down the sound to the side of the station,
She was cornered between the wall and a soda machine
I moved as if by instinct, I did it without thought
I clipped him and I kicked him
And I grabbed him 'round the throat
I pinned him to the wall and his eyes were bulging wide
I said if there's a next time I will see YOU crucified
With this I released him and he crumpled to the ground
The butterfly was gone again when I turned around
But then her little song drew our attention to the sky
Though with a certain lack of grace she had begun to fly
That was the last I saw of her, she never said goodbye
She just flapped off and disappeared
While singing with a sigh
"I'm going to a no man's land Because men and violence are intertwined"

Submitted by Guest