I Find Him Eating Butterflies

I find him eating butterflies. They’re beautiful, he says.
If I eat enough of them, I’ll be beautiful too.

He stuffs a monarch in his mouth,
fuzz clinging to his lips.

I hear the flowers weep.

He begins to eat them too,
stray petals on his shoes.

A hummingbird arrives —
dips her bill into his eye,
takes a long, melancholy drink.

What to think — is he crazy,
or is he wise? Does beauty mind? Should I?

(first publication)


Photo: As imagined by Russ Loar.


Updates:
The first six words beginning with the letter R added to the Robert Burns Glossary. Raibles: rattles, recites by rote, gabbles. Rair: to roar. Wad rair’t: would have roared.

In the Forum: The meek shall inherit a link.