FOR THE BUTTERFLIES

Photo by S. Auberle
Monarch butterflies must have milkweed to nourish their offspring and the plant is being decimated by pesticides.  Plant it if you have a spot...what a disaster it would be to lose these beautiful creatures...

CRASH

But most of all I shall remember the Monarchs, that

unhurried westward drift of one small winged form

after another, each drawn by some invisible force…

                                             ~  Rachel Carson

the Monarchs have crashed they say

as if a great plane had carried them

on their mighty journey south

and the hand of a jealous god

smote them down

certainly not our fault we say

and so we mourn them and orate

and pontificate about what to do

how to save the few     who remain

who remind us of what once was

and the number who understand

is as small as those fragile creatures left

to grace our emptying skies

who soon may join the passenger pigeon

the ivory-billed woodpecker

all the scorned-as-unimportant…

o let there be somewhere a place

where whatever passes for hearts

and arms welcome these--open wide

awestruck       immeasurably grateful for each