Category: Art

Poem: Butterfly Found…And Lost

~ Carrie

I saw a butterfly flutter by

A flash of color that caught my eye

Then, one morning, I also found

A butterfly upon the ground.

Its velvet wings heavy with dew,

I knew its journey was nearly through

But I was determined to at least try

To find a place where its wings could dry.

I placed it gently upon some wood

And like to think it understood

This was a place it could rest

And then, if it wished, continue its quest.

So I left it and continued on

With the chores to be done at dawn

And, later, when doing a round,

Found the butterfly, once again, upon the ground.

This time, though, I could tell

It would never move from where it fell –

Its wings, once outstretched and proud,

Were folded into a funeral shroud.

“Live fast, die young…”?

Will you return when Spring has sprung?

May there be plentiful Queen Anne’s Lace

Wherever you are, some other place.

I’ll look for you when flowers bloom,

Following the scent of heady perfume,

Beautiful Black Swallowtail, free of care,

Your spirit, unbound…and everywhere.

Learn more about the Eastern Black Swallowtail here.

Haiku: Quintet In Blue

~ Carrie

Sometimes small objects fail to catch our attention, and that’s a shame because there’s such beauty in the tiny world. In the waterfowl enclosure, on the hard-packed mud that I’ve been spraying to try to resurrect the grass (and it’s trying mightily to rebound), a group of miniscule and delicate butterflies flitted around each other, as if dancing.

These pale lavender dancers are Eastern Tailed-Blue butterflies – specifically, females. Males of the species are a striking cobalt blue; while the females may be more subtly colored, their pastel daintiness is nonetheless a pleasure to behold.

As summer transitions to fall, the butterflies will soon be gone…so enjoy them while you can!

Haiku: Ephemera Captured

~ Carrie ~ 3 Comments

I’ve been trying for some time now to photograph the Monarchs that flit about the pastures. They always seem to foil my hasty photographic attempts by flying off as soon as I almost have the shot lined up on my phone – and they won’t let me get very close, adding challenge to an already difficult endeavor. Today, though, this one let me get close enough for this photo. Maybe it was under the spell of the red clover nectar it was sampling…but regardless of the reason, I seized the opportunity, gladly. It’s butterfly season here: all sizes, shapes, and colors mingle in the pastures. And each one is welcome.