Tiny Butterfly Effect
Tiny butterfly wings
flap
in Brazil
set off a
c
a
s
c
a
d
e
of atmospheric events that
weeks later
forms a tornado
in Texas.
Tiny insignificant circumstances
can change
everything
shape large complex systems
e s
v e
o v
l
into future consequences
embrace the Chaos
Theory.
Things we find under bricks
wood lice pill bugs
creep and crawl and slide.
Rollie pollies remove heavy metals
lead, arsenic and mercury
from the soil:
they save us.
Tiny footsteps in the snow
lead giants out of hell.
Tiny things
have the power
to change the world.
Cherish the small
and magnificent
be aware of their hidden power
smallest voices can have
biggest influence.
flap
in Brazil
set off a
c
a
s
c
a
d
e
of atmospheric events that
weeks later
forms a tornado
in Texas.
Tiny insignificant circumstances
can change
everything
shape large complex systems
e s
v e
o v
l
into future consequences
embrace the Chaos
Theory.
Things we find under bricks
wood lice pill bugs
creep and crawl and slide.
Rollie pollies remove heavy metals
lead, arsenic and mercury
from the soil:
they save us.
Tiny footsteps in the snow
lead giants out of hell.
Tiny things
have the power
to change the world.
Cherish the small
and magnificent
be aware of their hidden power
smallest voices can have
biggest influence.
This poem is copyright (©) Peter Devonald 2023

About the Writer
Peter Devonald
Peter is a poet and screenwriter living in Manchester. 2022 Selected for The Poetic Map of Reading project and the Chronically Online/ Culturable/ Layered Onion Group Show. Also published in Haus-a-rest deconstruction, Dwell Time Press, Tales of the Underbanks (3rd in award), Bolton Breakdown: reawakening, Heaton Post, Cheadle Post, Didsbury Post and 20 publications in previous years. 2001 Heart of the Heatons best poetry winner. Multi-award-winning screenwriter including Children’s Bafta nominated. 150 festival screenings. Formerly senior judge/ mentor Peter Ustinov Awards (iemmys).