One butterfly spies a glint in his eye;
The birds sing as he cycles by
Oh, why should he feel sad?
This world ain't so bad
And besides - woe betide he who would frown
When natural beauty abounds
And now, with wheels spinning free
He's picking up speed...

Two butterflies tie knots in his stomach -
They love it when he goes too fast!
The wind whistles past
In vast oceans of air that will mess up his hair
Though he no longer cares anymore
For over-indulgence in vanity's vacuous vice
Just once or twice, thrice
Four times in five we forget we're alive
And neglect to remind ourselves

Wait, then, for me
Oh great Mercury!
As late as you may be
Will you wait for me?

Three butterflies realise when it's time to depart -
They have tickled his ribs, they have fluttered his heart
But the starting is easy compared to the stop
And the bottom is hard when compared to the top