Butterfly on the Wing

As she drinks nectar from a flower, sweetness from heaven falls like dew anointed with a gentle rain amidst sun showers she appears as if on cue Lifting her wings she lands on a Zinnia beneath a tinted sky of April blue flight of fancy fanning fast, fabulous marvel, she is beauty true on true She flitted from flower to flower, and I thought she'd landed in my hair Perhaps the sweet-scented spray attracted her, this lady butterfly, so fair Then, she flew to suckle the white jasmine blooms, on delicate wings I was mesmerized and felt my heart beats as if they were flutterings Quite still I stood as she hovered before gently landing upon my finger Each flap of her beautiful velvety wings made me wish she would linger Upon the morning's breeze she was carried until resting on a marigold I chased away a bumblebee who got near to her. I thought, "How bold!" I watched the Monarch lay her eggs, each tinier than a mustard seed upon her well-chosen birthing place, a tender green leaf of milkweed She hovered for a while longer, as if she pondered about her decision to leave her precious offspring, but she'd given them new life's provision Food to eat when into little caterpillars they'd develop when hatched She'd done all she could to assure her eggs had been firmly attached It was very intoxicating for me and of the experience I had to write about watching a butterfly do flyovers in my yard before taking flight I admit having watched her as if she were dancing around me today kept me on the lookout for predators that might steal her eggs away