(Picture by Kenneth Dwain Harrelson)
One sunny day
I laid a wee egg
beneath a broad leaf.
It was a gem,
pearly and white--
a seed of new life,
a small bit of me
that I'll never see
grow wings and take flight.
Some time ago, I began writing a collection of mask poems tentatively titled Butterfly Days. The poems are told in the voices of a Monarch butterfly, butterfly egg, and larva--as well as a milkweed plant. I put the manuscript on the shelf and haven't worked on it for many months. The poem above is the fourth one in the collection at the present time.
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Karen Edmisten has the Poetry Friday Roundup this week.
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7 comments:
I love your mask poems and your idea for a butterfly collection. I do the same thing. I have many collections that are partially finished. It's so hard to find a publisher for poetry, but you did it once, and I know you'll do it again! xo
Linda, I had a lot of help. Grace Lin sent my manuscript to Melissa Manlove at Chronicle Books. It's true what you say about poetry. That makes me sad because poetry is what I love to write. I've started writing picture books. Maybe one of them will have a better chance of getting published than a poetry collection.
And, it is beautiful! pearly white....never see....
You always bring into your mask poems something new to me, Elaine, like the idea that butterfly will never see the offspring. It's like you have a wee pipeline into their feelings. Love this!
I have seen one monarch in the wild so far this summer. I long for them to find my milkweed and leave their precious pearly white gems on their leaves!
You are absolutely my mentor for writing mask poems--you're the best!
What a lovely thought for mama monarch. I'm hoping to see some monarch eggs and caterpillars and maybe even a butterfly emerging from the milkweed in our garden. Last year I had several caterpillars who munched all the milkweed, but no butterflies.
Lovely Monarch poem Elaine–I hope your collection finds a home sometime soon. I've been writing and creating art about monarchs and milkweed for sometime now and also hope to do something with the writing. I have a sea of milkweed in my yard each summer, many "pearly and white" eggs, a few caterpillars and monarchs, thanks!
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