readings: lyrical words, memories, in “A Lap Full of Monarchs” Sharon Lovejoy – A BOOK OF TOADS; THE WILD BRAID, Stanley Kunitz ; teachings of Betty Komarek, Birdsong Nature Center, where I resided one summer, care-taking.
Back in March I yanked an invasive thorned vine off ou
big black mailbox only to discover my mistake –
I also wrenched a thorn-tangled
sweet jasmine vine that sheltered an underleaf jewel,
nature-glued.
What to do? Leave a treasure somewhere
out there? Under grandmother oak? Nestled among
ferns?
Because I’ve met Sharon Lovejoy and Betty Komarek,
because I’m a reader of Sharon Lovejoy and Stanley Kunitz
I knew, I knew.
With worried hands, I carried jewel on vine fragment
Aqua box
transparent nursery
paper mache wiggle
hang out to dry
probe cut-fruit sustenance
walk through open door
“Watch”c.2020JGAnnino
all photographs copyright 2020 JanGodownAnnino, all rights reserved
But!
Usually-welcome little brown lizard
creeps up (off-camera) thru foliage outside
yon door. Spotted not by me,
but by my eagle-eyed husband,
attorney advocate for kids,
who misses little about a predator.
Butterfly hadn’t graduated from walking to
more than a bunny hop, yet.
I stopped taking video & stills, tip-toed past
ground-floor butterfly &
placed barriers between it & the liz.
After about 6 ticking minutes, monarch did fly
out & up & away, on Easter Sunday, 2020. As Betty Komarek would say, “Blessed Be.”
p
And you gave all of us a ‘bright moment” to wonder at, to be thankful for, to appreciate. Sending love to you and your husband-and of course, to your winged wonder.
P.S. Having my name dancing through a sentence with Stanley Kunitz, wowow.
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Whenever I need a garden moment but can’t get outside, I garden with you – by reading one of your books. Can’t wait for your next.
Can’t wait for your next.
Appreciations for these good words, dear Sharon.
(p.s. methinks if you two would have met in a wood, a field, a pasture, a salt beach, you would have been pals for life )
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Thanks for your lovely poem and photos… I had not seen such good close-ups of the birth of a monarch. So glad it took flight!
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O Karen! I could hug you right now 🙂
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What a gift! I love the journey of this creature. Lovely.
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And feeling likewise. Thanks so much!!
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Such an uplifting Easter story, Jan. You and your husband’s kindnesses paid off big time for that one grateful soul.
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Appreciations, with a fly-high butterfly on top.
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Jan, what a beautiful event and story. Thank you the care and for your caring (and your husband’s)!
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My husband did see a monarch two days later, flitting about our plants – so we pretended it was “ours” 🙂 Thanks for your sweet words.
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What a gift–thank you for sharing it with us through your words and pictures
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Lucky are we – for your visit & that event 🙂 Thank you.
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Whew! You had me worried there for a minute! Glad your story-poem had a happy ending!
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It was our first-time to witness from our own garden, tho’ we’ve been enchanted at butterly gardens here in Florida & also in science centers elsewhere. It was touch & go, with lots of whoop-di-do! at “go.” 🙂 Appreciations!
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I love “nature-glued” and “transparent nursery” and really the whole poetic story! Aren’t you have lucky to witnessed the whole process? Thanks for sharing that small miracle with us.
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Appreciations Molly! You are right, a week later we still feel lucky. I wrote this in a flash & put it up slap-dash, so I appreciate everyone’s meandering thru it.
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Reading on this beautiful Saturday morning & celebrating that the “liz” was thwarted! Happy weekend, Jan. May it fill up with other wonders, too!
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Poor lizzie. Hopefully it found a grub or slug or something less popular with us 🙂 I know Springtime has greeted you a lot, of late. 🙂
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We have similar stories today. Don’t you just love the miracles of nature?
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Hi dear Margaret. I am keen to read your story & always get a tickle when our connections are concentric. Appreciations!
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Beautiful photography and poem-story about saving this jewel – so fragile – congratulations on a safe delivery!
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O Fran, it was like being a mid-wife. Well, no, not actually. But the same (well, no,) a similar, anticipation kept us on the porch over a three hour period! Thank you.
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Oh, Jan….beautiful poetry, beautiful husband guy who doesn’t miss a think about predators, beautiful butterflies. Beautiful you!
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A great gift, your words are, Linda – thank you.
And what an unplanned gift that vine yank was, leading to the sweet entertainment the emerging creature was Easter Sunday. We just never know what bright moment is headed our way. I’m headed over to your blog soon for some LindaTime sparkle 🙂
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