Poem and Photographs by Joni Caggiano
the blue moon danced full of hope, giving way to the sunrise
whose eyelashes flutter as clouds pass by
an indigo tailed lizard drenched in the warmth of a red brick
orange and black, the monarch liberated from her chrysalis
stirring her freshly painted wings upon a green canvas
underneath leaves, a mantis is praying for her dinner
carefully polishing two bright olive swords
built with two rows of sharp spines, she prepares for the hunt
magnolia blossoms become a trap for a hungry bee
hummingbirds stall with sorrow, forgotten visitors to this family
the red mouth of iron rusted the lone bicycle with training wheels
vines cling with tendrils to the handles hiding signs
of life that once fetched playful notes like bubbles
bringing laughter while singing songs in nature’s chorus
Beautiful, Joni! Also I can’t believe it, I could have sworn I was following your blog but WordPress is telling me I’m not. Probably my mistake! Cheers (:
Oh thank you Mitch. I am glad you liked it. I have found all the buttons on WordPress are a bit touchy. It is an enormous database however. Take care my friend. Love ❤️ to you and your loved ones. Joni
Joni I was held captive in thought and in the images you’ve created in this poem. Lovely, brilliant and so precise. And your photographs added the final touch of brilliance. Loved it! 😊 wishing you a lovely week with many blessings to you and your husband. With love and peace,
From Spain,
Francisco
Oh thank you dear Francisco for all your humbling and gracious words. I am so glad you liked it. Also delighted you liked the photographs as well. Love to both you and your wife as well. Sending blessings always. Hugs 🤗 Joni
You’re very welcome Joni! All the best!
To you as well my friend. 🤗💕
Joni, this is pure beauty. You write nature so magically🦋✨ I absolutely love the fluttering eyelashes of the sunrise, the painted monarch, and the mantis with “two bright olive swords / built with two rows of sharp spines.” That line gives me a Mary Oliver mixed with Sylvia Plath feel. I am always in awe of your talent. 💕
Thank you sweet Katy. I do appreciate your kind words and gracious support. Thank you for your sweet reference to Sylvia Plath and Mary Oliver. I am appreciative my friend. Hope you have an amazing rest of the week. Sending love ❤️ and hugs. Joni
Beautifully described. I love the flow and the brilliant descriptive phrasing. Well done, Jonikins!
Thank you Brad. I always am delighted when you enjoy something I write. Hope you are having a great week so far. Sending lots of love my friend. 💕❤️Jonikins
Beautiful written I enjoyed reading you posts. Be well Loving Kindness.
Thank you so much. I am so pleased you enjoyed it my friend. Thank you for your thoughtful support. Love ❤️ to you and your loved ones. Joni
Reblogged this on John Cowgill's Literature Site.
Thank you my friend. I hope all is well with you. It is finally cooling off here in NC. It feels so nice to feel a bit of a cool breeze. Sending you lots of love and blessings my dear friend. ❤️💕🤗Love Joni
You are very welcome. It is a nice day today.
I am glad to hear it my friend. Sending love and hugs xoxoxo Joni
Thank you. Hugs and love to you.
This is wonderfully written, beautiful!
Oh thank you Tiffany. You are such a sweetheart. So appreciative of your support my friend. Love ❤️ Joni
Beautifully observed, recorded and captured in words and pictures, Joni. Enjoyed this tremendously. Thank you.
Oh thank you my dear friend. I am always so amazed by nature. The praying mantis is such a skilled killer and so amazingly suited for his specific region. I can’t believe how many different kinds there are and all are formidable hunters. So glad you enjoyed this Stuart. You and your honey have an awesome day. Please give your wife my best. Love ❤️ to y’all 💕Joni
I love praying-mantis. Nice to see one!
Thank you. He was a big one. Lovely and expert hunters. Have a great evening. Hugs Joni
Expert hunters? I did not know that.
Thank you! 🙂
My pleasure. ❤️Joni
Such a “Beautiful “ inscription if nature Joni! You’re writings are always a spirit it so lift. LOVE HUGS AND THE BEST COFFEE CHEERS TO YOU!XOXO🍃💐💗🍃☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️
I don’t know why I am just seeing this comment now but I will just be grateful that I got it. Thank you for your lovely words which I do so appreciate. Love and hugs to you as well my friend. 💕❤️☕️☕️🤗
Comments are going crazy. 🤔. I cannot understand where is it that you find time to write so many beautiful shares and at the same time, give so much back with engagement.🤔🤔🤔
It always make me snicker to myself when you use that hilarious emoji. You are very gracious, thank you my friend. 💕❤️💖☕️☕️☕️
This is so gorgeous honeybun. It’s filled with beauty. It vibrates with life and love. I am in awe with this poem. You are great. May you have a fabulous evening.
Much love,
G (Button)
Oh thank you beautiful Button. You have made my evening with your thoughtful words.
“It vibrates with life and love.”
Thank you my friend. You too, have a wonderful evening. Sending you lots of love and inspiration.
Many hugs,
Love honeybun ❤️💕🤗
Thank you so much honeybun ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
💕❤️💖🌺🌸
This is so resounding. You’ve crafted the magical note of nature in such wonderful words. The pictures are amazing, but the poem really speaks of the beauty your pen hides. Not only is it rich and full of succulent imagery, but the wonderful flow really takes me to this lush garden as I lie basking in the sun. Lovely.
Thank you so much my friend. Your kind words have touched my heart.
“You’ve crafted the magical note of nature in such wonderful words.”
You humble me with these words my friend. Thank you so much for reading and for your generous words. You have been a blessing to me this day.
❤️ love Joni
My absolute pleasure dear friend. Your poem touched mine in the very first place.
I am so thrilled to be writing to you. I hope I could bring a smile to your face.
Cheers.
Always,
Shanyu.
You definitely brought a smile to my face my friend. You and your loved ones have an amazing week. Love to y’all. ❤️💕🤗Joni
Likewise friend. I hope everything is well up in NC.
💕❤️
Lovely. <3
Thank you dear Anna. 💕❤️
AHHHH!!!! This is sooo LOVELY, Joni! You just gifted a huge smile. I’ll confess: before I could enjoy Your beautiful poem I had to get over my intense jealousy that Y’all have a Praying Mantis in proximity!!! What I would give!!! I’ve even bought egg sacs but they just don’t like it around here! Or the frogs and lizards gobble them up. I’ll never know! But YAY!! Love this poem!!! Thank You!!! I hope Y’all have a wonderful week and tell Your sweet Mantis hello for me! 🤣❤️🤗!!!
Thank you Katy. I love the Mantis too. We have them all over the place. The one in the picture is on Jasmine which covers the iron handles coming up our stairs. They are always there. On the screen porch we have one side covered with vines and they love it there as well. I don’t know if you saw my pictures of the Luna Moths mating but they are almost never seen and to catch them mating is rare. Bugs we have and I love them. I will send you a box of them, via fairy tonight but please keep them warm. I have seen them strike they are lightening fast. I am surprised you don’t have them. Love to you sweet friend.
😘🤗💕🐉🦋Joni
OH MAN!!! Now I’m really jealous!!! Thanks for the fairie transport and no! I have not seen the Luna Moth post! I will come look for it later!!! Cheers and YAY!!! Love right back to You! 🤗❤️😊
Hugs my friend. Loving all creatures on this earth. The Luna Moth is an amazing creature. Allusive like the blue butterfly. 🦋🦋🦋love Joni
Right!?! This Spring I saw a bright blue butterfly while walking in the woods near our house. Couldn’t even believe it!!! Ah! I so wish sweet Bill had been with me! 🦋🦋🦋!!!
Oh that is a very special thing. You may have a special visitor. I am sorry Bill missed it too. It is so special to see these rare creatures. Love you sweetie. 🦋🦋🤗💕
Beautiful words to match the beautiful photos. It took me a minute to spot the praying mantis, so neat!
Thank you my sweet Janette. I am always happy when you like my work. Speaking of which my dearest and longest friend, I was talking about you yesterday. When you grow up in the military it is hard to keep up with the friends we made. I was so blessed to meet you and to continue to know and love you. A friend who is always there is something to cherish which I do. Sending you a string of blue butterflies to go with the one on your tree. I love you my dear friend. 🦋🦋🦋❤️😘Joni