Puss Moths

Gold cherry

By onemorething

Sat, 04 Jul 2020
  • 4157 reads
14 comments
 

Puss moths, in one incarnation,

feed from goat willow,

are mothered by it, as if

they recognise one another.

And each instar brings its own struggle 

to change; the pain of emergence

and transformation - how we shed and

redefine the borders of ourselves too.

Once poisonous children

are still shielded by aspens 

who shake their branches 

in conversation with the dead.

Little underworlds of wonder,

little worlds of undergoing -

what rites and passages

these moon-felted creatures,

leaf-crowned, endure to be

reborn from their coffined winters until

they soften into a new paper

and ink of feathers and ermine. 
 

Image from pixabay. Also images on Twitter if you are remotely interested are:

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Emperor_moth_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg Not the moth of the poem, but still, I liked it, and that is what counts...

And also, I think in its second to last instar, when it is at its most outrageous:https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puss_Moth_Cerura_vinula_-_Flickr_-_gailhampshire.jpg 

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Comments

Submitted by rjnewlyn on

This is our Facebook and Twitter Pick of the Day! Please share/retweet if you like it.

 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh thank you! That's very lovely and has given me an excuse for some kind of cocktail later, I just needed a reason to justify it. 

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

An absorbing and educational well crafted poem, Rachel. Reading that the caterpillar can be poisonous was for me a revelation. Well  done on the accolade.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh good, am glad you thought so, Luigi. And poisonous, well, it helps to be armed against anything that might regard you as breakfast. Thanks for reading. x

 

Submitted by Stephen Thom on

beautiful poem, some lovely diction and phrases - 'how we shed and redefine the borders of ourselves too' / 'moon-felted' / 'leaf-crowned'. Much enjoyed yes

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks! Am happy you liked it. Thanks for reading my mothy poem. It is moth weekend so inadvertently appropriate. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I like having moth in mothers, so the tree is part moth, that's clever

and "moon-felted" like the moon feels them as well as being soft as felt

and "ink of feathers" because it is so fragile

and I had bever heard "instar" so have learned ANOTHER  new word from reading your poems!!!

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, there are a number of very furry and luxurious looking moths with wonderful names and I am a little in love with them all. There are tigers, leopards, the drinkers, white ermines and sallow kittens; all regally furred.  So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading it. Rachel :)

 

Submitted by lavadis on

The imigary is beautifully crafted 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thank you. Am happy you liked it. Thanks for reading it.

 

Submitted by littleditty on

This poem has the softness of moths - beautiful lines x

 

Submitted by onemorething on

They are underrated, that's for sure, they could give butterflies a run for their money in the beauty and quirk stakes. Glad you liked. Thanks for reading it. x

 

Submitted by airyfairy on

Absolutely lovely, and I too have learned some things in a very enjoyable way.  Just a pointer - you never need an excuse for a cocktail laugh

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks! And yes, that's true about cocktails, but I can usually find a reason - I think I enjoy the process. I had a very intoxicating margarita thanks to some fuzzy moths. :)