tummy half a dozen
black swallowtail, three
silvery blue, a mixed flutter
galvanism fizzle a yellow in my head
and orange and black kaleidoscope
painted ladies clap-and-fling
grey hairstreak
flittered back to life
surprised to find a smile
each time the swarm
white checkered skipper lift
eights circle titillated
wide wings
seek a place
to alight
some treasure, some
rotting gnat-laden lemons
discovered under mother’s thin
Photo credit: Fidel Hajj.
The Life You Could Have: a memoir 