Ode to the Monarch
By Carole Wagener, Coastal Dunes Branch
Butterflies congregate in the trees,
Neatly arranged among the leaves.
They form beautiful clusters
With all the strength they can muster
Until the winter winds are done.
Awaiting the morning sun,
In a glorious burst
They all disperse
Back to the earth.
These magnificent creatures
Five generations in the future
Come back to this grove,
In many a drove.
Here they rest, eat and mate.
February 14 is their wedding date.
The males will expire,
But the females never tire
Of finding milkweed
To lay their precious seed.
The next generation begins.
From larva to caterpillar spin,
A chrysalis will be formed
A new butterfly adorned.
Such is the life cycle of the Monarch,
Their beautiful black and orange among us,
Visiting our gardens each year
They magically appear
To taste of the nectar
So clear.
Then going back to the Rockies to procure,
The milkweed plant so very dear.
But by January next year,
Their off spring will find their way back here.
To the eucalyptus grove in Pismo Beach,
What a treat for us to come and meet,
Each new generation
Giving us a glimpse at creation,
A renewed inspiration…
To Life!
The butterfly teaches me,
How to live a life that is truly free.
It rests upon a tree;
Flowers provide its feed,
But most of all it says “Just Be”…
Carol Wagener is currently writing her
first novel based on her husband’s letters
to her from Viet Nam and her time at college
during the anti-war demonstrations in the 1960s.