Friday, May 8, 2009

Favorite Poem Friday - Lucille Clifton and a Haiku by Me

I went out late yesterday afternoon to water my flowers and strawberries and saw a dead leaf on my trash tree. I went to pluck it off and realized that it wasn't a leaf at all, but a beautiful surprise from Mother Nature. I used to pray a prayer I'd read years ago daily: "Lord, let me see something today which I've never seen before..." and seeing this moth made me recall it. Now I'm back at it. I've taken spectacular pictures of the pink Sphinx Moth and the brown Tobacco Moth which are attracted to my Moonflowers, but I'd never, ever seen this beautiful species (which I'm still researching for her true name) of moth. I even wrote her a Haiku, after much trial and error and counting of words.

I share the photos below. Isn't she beautiful????



A leaf from last year
Floating on the Spring breeze----no!
Yellow and brown moth.


The picture below is when I first spotted her, camoflaged perfectly as a dead leaf next to my windchimes. I highly recommend that you always keep your camera in your pocket when walking around your yard. You never know what you'll see!



The photo below I took from her underside with the setting sun shining on her wings. I was amazed at the perfect symmetry on both sides of her wings.



And lastly, I share this favorite poem by Lucille Clifton. It's a keeper.
Blessings, ~*~Marion~*~





SORROWS
by Lucille Clifton


who would believe them winged
who would believe they could be

beautiful who would believe
they could fall so in love with mortals

that they would attach themselves
as scars attach and ride the skin

sometimes we hear them in our dreams
rattling their skulls clicking

their bony fingers
they have heard me beseeching

as i whispered into my own
cupped hands enough not me again

but who can distinguish
one human voice

amid such choruses
of desire

6 comments:

Marion said...

I found her online: I was visited by the Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis). The family is Wild Silk Moths and the Subfamily is Royal Moths.

WOW! I'm truly honored to have had a royal visitor!!!

Anonymous said...

I am loving your words and your story within.Moths are as beautiful as Butterflies, to me; even more so.I believe them to be more fragile and in need of more love *sigh*
Beautiful Poem *Sorrow* Thanks for sharing such.

gerry boyd said...

Lovely post.

Kelly said...

That moth is amazing! I can see why you thought it was a dead leaf...that's exactly what it looks like from a distance.

Beautiful poem. I don't think that one isn't in my Lucille Clifton collection.

Reading your Haiku makes me want to try MORE!! Yours was perfect for the moth.

Marion said...

Thanks to y'all for the nice words.

Saraha, I've learned to love Moths as much as or more than Butterflies, too. They're so misunderstood what with running toward those flames and all. Lord, can I relate to that...

Isn't she cool, Kelly? I found a site with Royal Moth sightings noted and not one was listed in my area. I'll have to be sure to note it there. I got that Lucille Clifton poem from a poem-a-day email I get and I think it's one of her newer ones. It's not in either of my books I have of hers.

Renee said...

Marion that totally brought tears to my eyes. Maybe just the pure unexpectedness of it. I have never seen anything like it.

It totally looked like a leaf.

I love your blog and I love you.

xoxox