And now for something completely different…
I’ve been raising monarchs. I’m still a novice, and so I joined a Facebook group, The Beautiful Monarch, to learn more. This video was posted by Claire Holzner. It was created by her brother who videoed the first flight of many monarchs. Meditate on the video and scratch a small poem into your notebook.
Share your experience with the meditation and your resulting draft. Comment on other writers with encouraging words.
There is drama
Margaret Simon, draft
in the first moments
of flight,
like the sudden cry
of an infant
born.
Reflections on the Teche 
How beautiful! I love that you have infants on your mind.
First flight
to air
Atmosphere
Sky
clouds bow
To your
Majesty
I wave
goodbye
Maggie is getting close to delivery and the best news ever is they will now allow two people in the delivery room, so I get to be there!
I love how Atmosphere, Sky, and Majesty are capitalized. Makes that wave goodbye seem small and insignificant.
Linda, I like your rhyme and your personification is effective in “clouds bow/to your Majesty. I can see your images. Thank you.
Margaret, thank you sharing an amazing video prompt! My daughters and I love monarchs. We had fun watching their life cycle in my garden. This year I found more monarch caterpillars than I’ve seen in six years, yet I never found a chrysalis. However, my husband and I were rewarded with many monarch butterflies, which I took pictures of. I like your simile comparing “drama in the first moment’s of” a monarch’s “flight” to “the cry of an infant born.” The first flight of trying to take off, but flying backwards was dramatic. It seems that it takes awhile to get used to those big wings. I also like watching after they come out of their chrysalis when they perch drying and unfurling those powerful wings.
Here’s mine:
Monarch
You are magical.
Your delicate,
but powerful
wings flutter
mesmerizing
all who See
your beauty.
Gail Aldous 2020
Is wings all right where it is, or does it sound better on the line with but powerful? I capitalized See for emphasis because there are no italics in this form.
Yay, you can be in the delivery room! Exciting!
The word magical is perfect…the video is magical…all those new butterflies. Isn’t it amazing how strong the wings are? You’ve captured wonder.
I have to say I was mesmerized by watching that video. I love where the first flight took you – and so happy about Maggie’s soon-to-be delivery! A new little one to share wonderful times with!
It’s been a while since I have been here, but I needed this creative boost today.
delicate wings with
majestic unsteadiness
but my strength prevails
Thanks for coming by Leigh Anne. I like the spirit of the delicate wings that nevertheless have strength. Something we all need to count on.
Leigh Anne, I was mesmerized by that video, also. When it stopped I clicked it a couple more times because it was so relaxing and beautiful. I like how your haiku builds up to the end using “delicate, unsteadiness,” and then “strength” just like the sequence in the video. I think using first POV from the monarch makes your poem more effective.
I saw your post yesterday, and scribbled out a poem, gorgeous video, many thanks for sharing it Margaret. You captured their flight well in your poem with “drama” and a babes cry.
four wings of hope
reach, lift, and take flight
holding world’s hope in their
graceful, delicate wings
Holding world’s hope.
Michelle, your inspiring and spiritual poem is beautiful! It seems like it would be perfect on a poster with your beautiful art, or maybe frame it with one of your pastels and put in an art show, or maybe put it on a card with your art so someone can put it on their desk to always look at. Or, in a children’s poetry book filled with your inspirational poems and art. Sorry to go on and on. I love it; it gave me hope and joy, and I can see your art pairing so well with it, bringing more beauty. Thank you!
I love this video so much, both as a 5th grade teacher who has watched countless students launch off into their future (in as many different ways as are shown here…sometimes backwards and upside down, but all eventually right themselves and fly). I will save this to share with parents at the end of the year.
On a butterfly-raising side note, I never realized how they use a thrust of their abdomen to launch themselves. They seem to pump with their abdomen the way we pump with our legs on the swing set. Fascinating!