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Butterfly Garden

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Last year my garden Bare and idle, For drought and scorch And pain, As hundreds miles Northward, Lake Mead Cried Out for rain. Sometimes we pay a Sacrifice For water waste is just Not nice. In a desert habitat, I had to choose, And that was that. But cloudbursts have come More frequently, Now, should I plant? I guess we'll see. How I miss those butterflies, Visitors from these pretty skies, Dropping by to rest awhile, Gracing our day with many A smile.

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Mystic Rose Rose

Date: 3/27/2023 5:14:00 AM

May God return all the butterflies that have flown south, and clip them all onto your heart my friend have a blessed day :)

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:56:00 PM

Yes, they will be back, just not as many I suspect because the water usage in this region has impacted the dams, so, I can't feel happy to use the water that I did use when I planted the garden. My conscience won't let me, I have to make a new plan. I hope that the rains will just keep on coming, we've had a lot, but I have to keep an eye to the future, if I don't and nobody else does, the water will not be there for real needs, real farms, people and animals in the not far distant future. So, I have to come up with a small patch of flowers, and maybe my garden bed will be filled with regional wildflowers, maybe some cactus, but they don't offer a lot of blooms. Anyway, if they all did come back and clip onto my heart, I guess that would be a heart lifting experience! Hugs and many blessings to you as well Mystic Rose :) <3

Deb M

Date: 3/27/2023 3:34:00 AM

Such a pretty poem BJ…let the heavens open! Debx

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:44:00 PM

Yes, pour down rain, heavens, from the skies, spring up flowers, send butterflies! ;D Look at you Deb, you just inspired another poem :)

Valsa George

Date: 3/27/2023 12:36:00 AM

" How I miss those butterflies /Visitors from these pretty skies". Despite your love for gardening, you cannot bring up flowering plants due to lack of water. Very sad......! Without flowers and butterflies, the charm of life will be eclipsed. Beautiful poem dear BJ

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:41:00 PM

Thank you Valsa, yeah, it's kind of sad, but, I do think desert flowers are pretty, and a smaller zinnia and sunflower patch watered with household grey water is how we use to water the plants before I got too old to keep fighting the battle by carrying buckets or moving the garbage cans on wheels (our rain barrels) till their sides sprung leaks, their wheels coming off, and all that. I got lazy and used city water, and now I'm taking the drought serious again/ We will plant desert blooms for the butterflies :)

Gershon Wolf

Date: 3/25/2023 9:12:00 PM

Love the ending, BJ. Now for the butterflies to reappear!

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:36:00 PM

Thank you Gershon, yes, both they were beautiful!

Sotto Poet

Date: 3/24/2023 7:55:00 PM

Gardens suffer severely when there is a drought. On the other hand, a diverse collection of cacti can have an attractive appearance, and then if they blossom, the butterflies will return. This is really nicely written, BJ. Best wishes.

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:35:00 PM

Yes, it's sad. Droughts are terrible, but I don't think this region was actually made to handle what we are using up in this region, our dams are emptying, it's a terrifying scenario. I had raised my kids to conserve with an eye toward the future, that someday, there may not be enough for someones glass of water and I don't want to be responsible to that future human or animal for that :/ I was happy with all our efforts, but I had become slack, and not filling rain barrels and the like. Anyway, maybe God will send more rain :) We have had a lot more, and if I can recycle more grey water, we'll see about a small patch of zinnias. Catus and regional wild flowers will be pretty too :)

Speaks Volumes

Date: 3/24/2023 7:51:00 PM

Drought is awful for gardens. But a different array of cacti can look pretty and if they flower the butterflies will come back. You wrote this well BJ. Best wishes. Wen

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:28:00 PM

Yes, I do hope that the rains and snowmelt make a huge impact on the region, droughts are terrible. I am hopeful that all the rains and snow will improve the reservoirs and refill the aquafers. My zinnias and sunflowers were lower water usage plants, but it just seemed like every little bit of water amounts to a lot from the millions that are using the Colorado River. So :/ We reuse much of our water, bathtub water = toilet flushing water, and have even used it for the 1st cycle clothes wash, hope that's not tmi :) But, water shortage is a serious matter, so we pray for lots of rain!

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 3/24/2023 12:11:00 PM

Really nice nature poem.

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/27/2023 2:16:00 PM

Thank you Andrea :)

Daniel Turner

Date: 3/23/2023 4:58:00 PM

This is a nice relaxing poem, BJ. I'll bet they'd land on a cactus flower:)

Bj Legros Kelley
Date: 3/23/2023 11:32:00 PM

Thank you Daniel, those cactus flowers are beautiful. You have given me an idea, when you said cactus, and that's a great idea, I thought, and native wildflowers :) Those would be drought resistant, obviously, and the native butterflies will love them! You made my day, this is a great new plan, and So obvious :D Thank you!