EcoGlimpse

Once I had a butterfly garden,
and every day I was treated
to displays of fluttering beauty.

Despite enjoying its charms,
I sometimes grumbled
when tending to the wild garden
during the heat of summer.

Now that garden is a memory.
I look out of my window and
see shimmering water, trees,
and a few blooming plants.

Most days I am content.
But, where are the butterflies?
Two danced by my window  
yesterday, but were quickly gone.

Today, I am longing for butterflies.
and wondering if I must
seek them out and apologize
for once taking them for granted.

I wonder if vertigo is a reminder
from the Universe
that stability is just an illusion.

Green everywhere – all shades, all hues,
on the water, the wood, the leaves.
It was as if the storm had placed
a green filter over the landscape,
my eyes, and my camera.

Then, as if sensing my thoughts,
a green heron flew out
from under the dock,
startled by my presence
but confirming my vision.

I am mesmerized by the clouds shifting forms
as my imagination and dreams drift skyward.

But beware!
Raw energy is cloaked in the billowy softness.

I awake forcibly to clouds true nature,
with a flash, a rumble, and a cold rain
that threaten not only comfort, but also life.

Safely sheltered, but rebuked, I continue to watch
and find that still I love clouds ……. perhaps more. 

The morning after the storms,
I went looking for the vibrant flower
that had hung so proudly over the garden wall.

But, the rains and winds had battered her;
and instead of a glorious bloom, I found her sad remains.
I am too late, I thought.

 Then I looked up and saw a hidden flower,
sheltered by leaves, and tucked behind the wall.
Clever flower, kindred spirit,
we both know how to hide sometimes,
and thus survive the storms.