Home » Poems » Maureen Mcgreavy » Serving Her Majesty

Serving Her Majesty

monarch lays her eggs the milkweeds her nursery and I her nursemaid MagiCicada 17 *Doubly blessed, another female Monarch visiting my milkweeds this morning, depositing her seeds of gold.

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Caren Krutsinger

Date: 7/19/2018 5:38:00 AM

I believe our best poems are from the heart, and I see this one is from yours.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/19/2018 6:29:00 AM

Definitely some truth to that. Spotted one of her babes almost two cm long yesterday, they're getting their stripes :)) yay! Thank you Caren, for your warmth and sunshine, a lovely day to you! xomo <3

Robert Warlov

Date: 7/10/2018 5:40:00 PM

been reading the comments. didn't know about the threat to the monarch. knew they had extended there range quite a bit in the last few years, but I'm not surprised. the whole planet's falling apart. Mammon needs a good ass kicking. in my poem "bird song" I honor the Monarch; a symbol of stability.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/11/2018 8:01:00 AM

Oh Mammon. Been a while since I've heard that ;) the Monarch, a symbol of stability, I like that... and especially how it applies to me right now, sitting in my milkweed patch, tending my baby monarchs. Thank you Robert, xomo

Mick Talbot

Date: 7/7/2018 9:31:00 PM

A tip, but first if you have not done it before don't bring them indoors, humidity, light, all sorts of subtle things can affect their development. The tip, cover the plant/s with a fine mesh, metal or cloth, fine enough to stop parasitic wasps getting to them, Just a thought, Mick PS Duplicated in case you don't scroll down, Mick

Mick Talbot
Date: 7/8/2018 4:12:00 AM

Yeah, I take that point of view as well, in as much as let nature do its thing, but. & there's loads of the latter, like u putting up protection from yor dog, but a big BUT, is butterflies ni on worldwide r suffering, climate warming, (credited 2 us humans), & climate change both big factors in their decline, habitat destruction another concern. According 2 reports, the Monarch has decreased in numbers 50%+, so along with other flutterbies their desperately in need of (our) help.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/7/2018 9:49:00 PM

That said, I did find one trampled little plant with a couple eggs, I've put it in water with hopes they'll hatch. Thank you Mick. Love to geek out nature ;) xomo!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/7/2018 9:45:00 PM

Awesome advice! I've had three visits today, I like to think they're not all the same female. So lots of eggs! Been worrying about the dogs and birds, didn't think about the wasps. Well they be the wilds. With the amount of laying I have seen some ought to make it.

Lyric Man

Date: 7/6/2018 12:37:00 AM

Hi Maureen.. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your well crafted write this evening. I always appreciate the giftings of a pen in the hand of a poet!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:26:00 AM

Thank You Lyric Man. I appreciate when nature delivers to my muse a fully formed poem ;) xomo!

Anisha Dutta

Date: 7/6/2018 12:09:00 AM

WOW! Excellent

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:24:00 AM

Thank you Anisha! :) xomo

Probir Gupta

Date: 7/5/2018 9:49:00 PM

Monarch is yours, relief is mine ... beautiful ... Thank you for The Wet Lark ...

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:23:00 AM

Sweetness, thank you Probir :) xomo

Warren Doll

Date: 7/5/2018 6:25:00 PM

Wonderful haiku, Maureen.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:22:00 AM

Thank you Warren :) xomo!

Agnes Krampe

Date: 7/5/2018 6:08:00 PM

How sweet. Glad you are tending to your butterfly garden and helping them.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:21:00 AM

I'm over the moon ;) xomo!

Pat Adams

Date: 7/5/2018 5:25:00 PM

I love seeing butterflies, but no next to nothing about them. Some of the best poems come from true experiences, and this is one of the best! Well done......80)

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:20:00 AM

Thank you Pat! I've been encouraging this milkweed patch for a few years, have transplanted and encouraged a patch in the front yard too, and pulled out any dog strangling vine, an invasive species, monarchs will lay on them by accident, the "if you build it they will come" is finally paying off ;) xomo

Ilene Bauer

Date: 7/5/2018 3:57:00 PM

this is wonderful, maureen, from the title to the little note at the end!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/6/2018 7:10:00 AM

Thank you Ilene :)) xomo!

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 7/5/2018 3:28:00 PM

this is so precious. I love it.

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 3:43:00 PM

Aw thank you Andrea! :)) xomo!

Tim Smith

Date: 7/5/2018 1:50:00 PM

May the fruits be plentiful

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 3:42:00 PM

Hope of hopes! :) xomo

Charlie Smith

Date: 7/5/2018 12:37:00 PM

Lovely Maureen...

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 12:47:00 PM

Thank you Charlie! I am so excited ;) xomo!

Anil Deo

Date: 7/5/2018 11:40:00 AM

Glory to God! Maureen, this is utterly, godly work - even to sense Presence in other life forms. You sense, you attend, then ten. Triply blessed (of course 70X7), shalom, shalom

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 12:37:00 PM

Thank you much Anil. I do sense their presence, as I do their absence. I have been nurturing my milkweed patches a few years now, I feel presence in them as well, I have even observed communication. (milkweed to milkweed, not plants talking to me;) xomo!

Kim Rodrigues

Date: 7/5/2018 11:06:00 AM

Oh what a lovely haiku, dear Maureen!

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 12:22:00 PM

Thank you Kim! I owe it to the butterflies ;) xomo!

Mick Talbot

Date: 7/5/2018 11:02:00 AM

Lucky you, and what a great juxtaposition, wasn't expecting that! If this is true, (I hope it is), pleases keep me updated. Every time I've tried to help butterfly larvae it's been a disaster, birds, wasps, both parasitic and hungry ones, then the weather :-(

Mick Talbot
Date: 7/7/2018 9:29:00 PM

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 12:19:00 PM

Yesterday she laid four on the top of a leaf, I may just dig up and pot up that plant to bring indoors...

Maureen Mcgreavy
Date: 7/5/2018 12:18:00 PM

It is true! Right after I inked my "Missing Monarch" yesterday a Monarch showed up and I watched enthralled as she deposited eggs, and this morning, another female laying in my front yard patch, picture me following around after her checking on on her eggs. I'll be cordoning off the patch in the back to keep the dogs out.