Giant Swallowtail
A giant swallowtail came to visit,
if only for a short, short while.
It's scenes like this that make me glad,
that make me break out in smile.
All yellow and black with fluttering attack,
the giant swallowtail draws its nectar sweet.
After a moment it is off on a new tack,
its flight so erratic and fleet.
She saw an ugly many eyed worm,
in the leaves of the naval orange tree.
Wanted to kill it right then and there,
wanted the fruit tree bug free.
I told her to stop and think for a moment,
about what she was going to do.
By killing all bugs and worms,
much beauty would disappear from view.
Ladybugs are best, for removing pests,
and hardy, bug resistant native plants.
Pesticides are great, but of late,
they are slowly killing us in kind.
Bugs killed out of sight, out of mind.
No more birds, no butterflies to find.
She saw an ugly cocoon on the fence,
wanted to clean it off with her hose.
Wanted her garden perfectly beautiful,
so the neighbors wouldn't turn up their nose.
I told her the cocoon was beauty in disguise,
waiting for metamorphosis to occur.
She asked me what metamorphosis was,
I told her to wait and see for sure.
One morning I saw it happening,
and she came to her surprise,
the ugly worm had turned,
into a giant swallowtail beauty,
right before her eyes!
Copyright 2014 © Ronald W. Hull
6/19/14
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Regis
about what she was going to do.
By killing all bugs and worms,
much beauty would disappear from view.
I wish more people were like you.
words of a poet living closely with nature...observing it to
report on its splendor and its process of life cycle.
So, we too, like the "Alice in Wonderland"...with joy and awe
"witness" the miracle of this astounding transformation taking
place in his garden...from caterpillar munching on a navel orange
tree into butterfly...symbol of beauty and hope...soaring free
for the first time and helping nature to restore its balance...
Thought-provoking verse...with the transformation comparable
to "forgive and start anew" within human relationship process
to be welcome to our homes...bearing in mind...we are only
humans and the wisdom words...by Maya Angelou:
"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit
the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty".
Thank you Ron, for sharing your poem.
May all your wishes be granted!
Mary
Sandie
come to it. I don't know if we get the giant ones up here but they are beautiful! Ours are more of a blue and black. I'll need to check this one out.
Love ya!
Jane