I’ve been raising Gulf Fritillaries in a butterfly enclosure. One day this week we came into the classroom to find one butterfly and within minutes, like magic, there were three. Unlike monarchs, these seem to just pop out in seconds. We haven’t witness the emerging yet.
I am participating in Mary Lee Hahn’s #haikuforhealing on Instagram. This is a way to put beauty out into the world. Join me and my students today writing about the miracles of nature.
Open your wings
Flutter in sacred silence
Then let go and fly@Margaret Simon
Reflections on the Teche 
A perfect poem for this morning, Margaret, as another day dawns.
floating as you will
destination uncharted
yet remains certain
by Donna JT Smith ©️2024
This small haiku captures the feeling of being uncharted. I’m wondering about your choice of “yet remains certain.” Do you mean we will persevere?
Love the determination in your final line.
Donna, I started a comment but somehow it disappeared so hopefully this one will work. Your poem makes me think of freedom. Freedom to choose a path of wherever one wants to go for sure. Is this what your mean?
We are in South Carolina for a few days at spouse’s meeting–one of the highlights yesterday was watching many gulf fritillaries on a barrier island!
orange wings flutter
over dunes and beach grass–
hope ascends.
So hopeful, Buffy.
Hope ascends is what I am holding onto.
Buffy, how wonderful for you to have the opportunity to watch gulf fritillary butterflies “on a barrier island.” I love your imagery, and I see it. I miss dunes and beach grass, so I resonate deeply with your poem. Love “hope ascends.” A perfect ending to a beautiful poem.
Love “sacred silence,” Margaret.
precarious perch
welcoming a gentle wind
with wide-open wings
Love the alliteration of precarious perch. I also love sharing this small joy with you.
Rose, I love how your /p/ and /w/ alliteration make your poem sound. Love the juxtaposition of the “precarious perch” compared to the welcome of a “gentle wind.” Your “wide open wings” is like an invitation to the reader to fly, which I love.
The delicateness of a butterfly, the variety of species, and their travels on gentle winds, well, it just makes nature seem even more awe-inspiring to me. I love wide-open wings.
I only saw the photo and responded:
Life’s Elusive Symmetry
My right eyebrow and my left don’t match,
my eyes don’t either,
too much aging in that mirror.
And then I see in nature, perfection:
a butterfly in Halloween dress,
this Gulf Fritillary.
Beauty and awe.
How do we achieve such symmetry?
You reflect me, I reflect you
yet we don’t match identically, never will.
I can still love you despite imperfections;
mismatched, yes, but perfect in our own way.
Janet Clare F. @draft
Janet, I love how your poem makes me think about life. Great voice and honesty in these comparisons. I resonate with “too much aging in that mirror.” Love how you reach this positive ending. “I can still love you despite imperfections; / mismatched, yes, but perfect in our own way.”
I love where you went with this. Mismatched is my granddaughter’s fashion statement daily. A friend suggested we all wear our favorite Stella look to her birthday party. Mismatched can be perfect!
Such a fresh take, Janet. I agree, nature’s symmetry is perfection.
Thank you, Rose. Nature….awe-inspiring. So much beauty…..
Nice
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Margaret, gulf fritillary’s emergence seems fascinating and in fast motion compared to monarch’s slow-motion emergence. Both beautiful rebirths. I love hearing about all the wonderful activities you do with your students. Your students are fortunate to have you as a teacher. Thank you for your inspiration.
Gulf Fritillary Butterfly
sunset wings
fliting flower to flower
sharing joy and hope
Gail Aldous, draft
Sunset wings is a nice metaphor for that bright orange!
“sunset wings” – lovely!
Oh, Gail, sunst wings…..glorious! And I was thinking of the flitting/frilly alliteration. It’s a gift to see butterflies or flutterbys flitting about. Thank you once again for your detailed comments. So thoughtful in all ways!
Margaret, your haiku is beautiful. Your first line is like an invitation, which I love. I am awed by “flutter in sacred silence.” It makes me think of an angel. Your last line to me is like another invitation. It makes me want to fly. Love this.
Here’s to the miracles and to the beauty!
Margaret,
I have watched only a few Monarchs emerge, dry their wings and soar. It always feels like a miracle. And the hush as we watch is sacred silence. Thank you for this opportunity to gather. I may try a Haiku now that I’ve read the intro!
Thanks, also for your nice comment!
Janet