The Monarch

   butterfly deposits ovum onto the leaf
instar larva leaves from the egg
   at which it grows into a cater pillar
on the leaf still
   its skin striped yellow and black
its head from the egg visible only at first
   pigment of orange and black to come
black tentacles
   extending from the mature monarch body
having emerged from the chrysalis.

butterflies pupate
   they shed their cover
they look different
   Can you monitor them?
How can they defend themselves?
   Can they cut it?
they consume their egg
   they stick to the Ascelpias’ underleaf
Do they notch the leaf?
   they hang on by a thread

  

                            Peg L. Goldman
                                            2006