A Monarch Butterfly, a species without boundaries, pauses from fall travel, bathing in morning light at the Botanic Garden. (Photo by KPW)
The small but mighty Monarch knows its seasons
And with the chill of fall, begins its magical flight
Thousands of miles south stopping only to alight
On a dainty flower, refueling before resuming
By morning it’s found basking in the daylight warming
Waiting for the temperature to rise, to be just right
To catch prevailing tailwinds and travel until night
Stopping again to calculate its flight chart forming
Humans ponder climate clues to help us choose:
Umbrellas, hats, boots, or shoes?
Forecasting weather is part guess, part precision
The Monarch feels fall’s chill and makes a travel decision
This tiny butterfly vibrant of color and gossamer wings
Floats through time and air across azure sky and clouds
As we marvel at its beauty and stamina and ask out loud
How a thing so slight and fragile achieves gigantic things?
Nature, constant teacher, has a devilish sense of humor
And sometimes poses a puzzle quite difficult to unwind
Tiny Monarch strong but light as feathers is this kind
Leaving us to know its feats ring true, lingering in rumor
RLC