Collaborative Haiku Poem – 群れなす蝶々

butterflies
teeming over flowers
a happy scene

(Yoko Kelley）
舞い遊ぶ蝶々の群ひと安堵
まいあそぶ　ちょうちょう の むれ　ひとあんど

A bunch of butterflies fly up every time you walk by the flower gardens. I haven’t experienced that scene for some time. After 10 years living at the present place, we are able to witness the scene. Ever since we learned about the decrease in butterflies and honeybees, we have tried several things to help stop the decline. We have come to the conclusion that it is best to offer food and a place for them to lay eggs, and leave everything else to nature. One thing we found is that they like purple flowers grown densely. A few butterflies are seen for the first time. More swallowtails would be nicer!

　花壇の側を歩く度に一斉に舞い上がる蝶々の群れ。この場面を最後に経験したのはずいぶん以前です。現住所に移って10年ぶりにやっと再経験出来て感激しています。数年前に蝶々とミツバチの減少を知って以来、あれこれ試行錯誤の結果、個人に出来ることは食料と産卵場所を提供するのが最良で、あとは自然の力に任せることにしました。食料となる花の中でも、蝶々の好みは紫系統の花で、それも雑草共々密集して生えていることが大切のようです。今年は初めて見る蝶々が各種、惜しむらくは揚羽蝶の数が少ないことです。

Collaborative Haiku Poem
– Yoko Kelley
– Illustration by Norman Kelley
Omaha, Nebraska ネブラスカ州オマハ市