the vicissitudes of a blue butterfly
she lavishly opens her wings
teal-blue fans quiver
playing warm still airmotley light from the trees
she darts and dives
ah with what precision
dodges the many hazards
with angular flight
creole-eyed she alights to sip
from sweet honey-dewed
red-dressed grevilleas
moves with notes of music<
up and down around and in me
with lightness and freedom
I know dull blue of wings
etherised
silver-pinned under glass
and think of shy miss butterfly
sprawled in Eliot’s poem
pinned and wriggling on the wall
today her iridescent triangles of blue
flash with the sun like flying jewels
intoxicated with life
Colleen Keating