Sonnet #72

Like leaves tumbling, like early falling leaves,
Like something is wrong and the leaves march
too soon, little brown and orange specks, sieve
the late summer breeze, and... Wait, Monarchs!

The butterflies are here. The beautiful ones!
They travel south in herds like fields of ghosts
Like flowers become the flesh, they fly on
Indomitable in their fragility, Fearless most
of all against the roads where wind spins
them up and over and into all the cars driving

If we only walked more, if we planted flowering things
If we only didn't rush so much in our striving
Children dance to the butterflies, joyfully reaching
Let them land on a palm, let them taste skin, then flying