The yellow mercurial butterflies
are migrating in autumn regalia
flitting from scrappy creosote bush to lantana,
celibate in this stage,
floating
with purposeful beauty,
actors and actresses
flying
south to Mexican mountains.
Adorn the air with color.
Regarding from a distance
a queenly kingsnake with her cadmium yellow stripes
competes in the beauty contest for color perfection.
She watches warily with a wink
as she makes her way
a supernatural healer,
enemy of rattlesnake,
defender of earth,
her majesty creeps with looping spine
near the red wall.
She’s going home
to her den underneath the side porch.
I haven’t seen the little lizard lately,
a cutie
who comes by regularly for blueberry treats.
Maybe Ms Kingsnake has swallowed Lizzy
in preparation for winter hibernation.
For a split second
a haphazard thought comes visiting inside my head,
a map of the absurd
called imagination.
Tis only my homo sapien consciousness.
Keep going, dear one.
When I’m ready
we will visit again.
Copyright © 2014 by Susan E Rowland
Treat Yourself to a Journaling Adventure 
I love the movement of this poem from butterflies on high to the Mz Kingsnake living under your porch. It encompasses earthy reality and the flight of imagination – also real. Beautiful.
At first I was a little surprised by the appearance of Mz Kingsnake…then I saw she wasn’t poisonous. Autumn is such a lovely time of year. Thanks for commenting. Cheers! 🙂
Studies reveal monarchs only butterfly species to migrate and because of global warming have not had to fly so far south to Mexico any more. Shows that in eons of time they adjust and modify behavior.
Interesting, Carl! There’s so much to learn and observe. How lucky we are to have such a lovely world.