Photo by Phong Min on Pexels.com

Hello, Poets! It’s Merril, writing from southern New Jersey. It’s summertime in my part of the world, and it’s very green here right now. Summer flowers are blooming, sometimes topped with bees and butterflies.

“A fallen blossom
returning to the bough, I thought —
But no, a butterfly.”
–Arakida Moritake (1473-1549)

Two Butterflies went out at Noon

Two Butterflies went out at Noon—
And waltzed above a Farm—
Then stepped straight through the Firmament
And rested on a Beam—

And then—together bore away
Upon a shining Sea—
Though never yet, in any Port—
Their coming mentioned—be—

If spoken by the distant Bird—
If met in Ether Sea
By Frigate, or by Merchantman—
No notice—was—to me—

–Emily Dickinson

(This poem is in the public domain.)

So, for today, I’ve composed a list of common butterfly names taken from several online sites. People seem to enjoy these list prompts. Choose at least three of the names from the list below and include them in your poem. You may choose to use more than three for your poem. Please use the entire name, that is use “Appalachian azure”, not just Appalachian or azure.
There is no specific form for this prompt. And to be clear, the poem does not have to be about butterflies at all (though it can be). Simply use the words for inspiration. I think they can take you in a variety of directions.

Appalachian azure
Autumn leaf
Clipper
Clouded yellow
Crimson Patch
Duke of Burgundy
Fatal Metalmark
Fiery skipper
Gatekeeper
Golden birdwing
Golden Hairstreak
Green marble
Large Tortoiseshell
Lustrous copper
Miami Blue
Monarch
Mourning Cloak
Orange Sulphur
Painted Lady
Peacock
Pine Satyr
Rice paper
Rusty-tipped page
Silver Emperor
Silver-banded Hairstreak
Small Wood nymph
Sonoran Blue
Speckled wood
Spring white
Velvet rose
Wandering skipper

If you’re new, here’s what to do!

*Write a poem (in any form) in response to the challenge (a poem using at least three words from the list).
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