The Apples in My Orchard

Yesterday, falling short of my daily writing goal, I failed to publish my blog. I worked on it, of course, but it failed to come together as I wanted, in part due to time spent looking for my own photos to share on the post. This morning I was able to finish it. I wrote about monarch tagging and the monarch life cycle. Raising monarchs has been a hobby of mine since 2003 and I’ve been tagging since 2014. Being a conservationist means that I am constantly working to save or preserve our natural world.  The monarch is an iconic species of concern and I take both pride and pleasure in doing my part to ensure its survival.

Usually, my actions include habitat restoration and conservation, as well as community education regarding the life cycle of this species. But, as I was thrilled to tag and release my first monarch of the migration season this morning, I was overcome with poetic thoughts and phrases. Nature often has that effect on me, today was no different.

What I ended up with was a poem about the monarch’s journey as it left me this morning, what its life will be like for the next few months (with any luck), and the return of a creature that both amazes and inspires me to take care of our earth home.

 

An August Monarch

 

Oh, monarch, my monarch,

Today you will fly

On wings that take you oh, so high.

Through my yard, and around the bend

Sipping on colorful flowers that will help send

 

You on your journey to a land far away,

Keeping you nourished so when you arrive you can stay,

 

In the oyamel fir trees on the mountains so high,

Of Central Mexico you’ll rest but not lie,

Waiting for the winter months to pass quickly by.

 

When mother nature signals it’s time to zoom,

Around the month of March, I assume,

Then, I know soon you’ll come back to me.

You won’t make it far, not as far as you went,

But, laying eggs all the way on your Northern assent.

Assures me a relative of yours to visit my yard,

Where I’ve prepped and preened so you can let down your guard.

 

Home again, where you can stay

Amongst the milkweed and flowers

Planted so you can lay

 

Many new eggs from caterpillars grow

All on my milkweed that’s not in a row.

The cycle will start all over again,

While I say goodbye to you today

oh, dear monarch friend.

I know your future son or daughter will visit my glen.

 

Today’s Poetry Friday roundup is brought to us by the blog Pleasures from the Page!  For more inspiring poetry please check out the roundup on her post. Thank you for hosting!