The First Butterfly at the Ferry
Original fiction
At nightfall, the lamp at the ferry landing went out. The boat still hadn’t come. A woman waiting for it untied the red cord from her wrist and looped it into two wings. She tightened the knot and tied the red butterfly to the lamp stand to guide those coming behind her.
The next day, someone tied another butterfly to the stand. Before long, people passing through left butterflies they’d tied for travelers who hadn’t arrived yet. Some wings matched; others sat a little unevenly. From a distance, every red butterfly faced the path to the ferry.
“Now the red cord is in your hands.
Tie your own wish
The next butterfly is yours to tie.”