Chouchou. (Butterfly.)

I wore a sparkling white cloth

With magenta lilies and butterflies,

The obi was red,

The childish kind people made fun of me

When I stood in the train

With wooden clogs

That cut through my toes.

I’d never played dress up

In my whole life,

But I did it

Just to have fun.

Then, that guy

He came out and touched my shoulder

And I avoided him

as I always did because

he was the host,

the one everyone wanted to

notice them.

I fluttered around without a word

Until he caught me when

I was about to say goodbye,

Grabbing my hand,

Entwining fingers and

Raising it in the air

As if he’d found a prize,

The same guy who kept on looking

In the mirrors

And winking at me

All afternoon.