A Lesson from Nature

  
I may as well confess  
I murdered Jeffrey  
or at least  
was responsible for his demise  
after he'd been in my care so long  
it seemed a terrible end  
Every day I'd worship  
fascinated  
by his hawk moth jaws  
chomping relentlessly  
on fresh green bedstraw  
I gathered from the yard  
dutifully cleaning the dollops of poo  
while I changed the air in his jar  
How fat he grew  
truly an elephant waiting to fly  
and I waited too  
after the shock one morning  
to find him changed  
into a drab brown cocoon  
Then more interminable days  
weeks and winter months  
before his true colors shone through.  
To nine year old eyes  
he'd become the most beautiful moth in the world  
a feast of olives, pinks and creams  
with the longest tongue for nectar  
a flower had ever seen  
and I realized how much he deserved to be free  
for even then I knew  
beauty should never be caged  
  
I do not blame the sparrows  
nature is always right  
if only I'd thought to release him  
after the last of the light