Fairy Tale Of The Moth
(a 55)
In the Amazon there's a moth
who lives by drinking the night-tears
of sleeping birds.
who lives by drinking the night-tears
of sleeping birds.
By day she's folded asleep
in deep green chambers where purple frogs
sweat pearls of poison.
If she dreams, it's only by accident.
At dawn the birds fly up, eyes
open for song, tears given
without intent or knowledge
as I give mine, silver life
to the mouths of memories.
March, 2024
.jpg!Large.jpg "Great Peacock Moth, 1889 - Vincent van Gogh")
Process Note: Gorgone macarea is the moth referred to here, one of several species of Lepidoptera who pratice lachryphagy for survival.
Image credits: Blue Morpho Butterfly, 1865 © Martin Johnson Heade
Great Peacock Moth, 1889 © Vincent Van Gogh
Oh, my! This poem is incredibly beautiful. The moth who drinks tears is amazing, and the full circle to the narrator's own tears is a perfect closing. It is always so lovely to read you, Joy. This poem was worth waiting for.
ReplyDeleteSo ethereal and satisfyingly strange! I followed the link and was surprised to learn that drinking of birds' tears was a real thing and not just an amazing poetic device. The ending is so haunting and melancholy and feels inevitable. Beautiful, gorgeous stuff, Hedge.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely and magical poem! I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem and so beautiful in vivid words. Well Done
ReplyDeleteA beautiful full-circle poem, Joy. I especially love the way it ends:
ReplyDelete"...tears given
without intent or knowledge
as I give mine, silver life
to the mouths of memories."
Hope you are well! :)
I reread and reread this, getting more and more from it each time. An amazing thing you have done with the prompt words!
ReplyDeleteYour poem is exquisite, Joy ... I also read it several times. So much there in a relatively short poem. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Helen.
DeleteSo good. A perfect soft moth wing, flutters, dances. Each stanza is a different color, iridescent light moving.
ReplyDeleteluminous and exquisite, Joy ~
ReplyDelete