Deepening summer—
 
not one monarch butterfly
 
visits my garden!

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
that hungry, leering blue jay
 
has its eyes on you.

 

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
don’t be in such a hurry—
 
stay with me a while!

 

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
why do you flit in and out
 
of my winter dreams?

 
 
 

The last butterfly
 
to forage in my garden
 
left its breath behind.

 
 
 

These blood-red poppies,
 
unlike the white butterfly,
 
mind their own business.

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
if I could speak your language,
 
we’d have a great talk.

 
 
 

One brush of your wing
 
satisfies all my longings,
 
yellow butterfly.

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
you hug my yellow iris,
 
and vanish from view!

 
 
 

Yellow butterfly,
 
I watched for you all morning,
 
but you did not come.