“Eight days ago, young butterfly,
you wormed about, the same as I.
Within a fortnight from today
Two wings will bear me far away
To brighter blooms and lovelier lures,
With colors that out rival yours.
So, flutter-flit, be not so proud;
Each caterpillar is endowed
With power to make him, by and by,
A blithe and brilliant butterfly.”
~
from “The Butterfly and the Caterpillar” by Joseph Lauren
~
Photographed on Lysimachia vulgaris (Yellow Loosestrife/Goldfelberich)
~
Words and Herbs 
Beautiful picture and poem!
Thanks! Here’s the whole poem! : http://childofhisgrace.blogspot.de/2012/03/butterfly-and-caterpillar.html
very cool butterfly!
I’m so glad I discovered Joseph Lauren’s poetry last winter!
I really like this. My son seemed to enjoy it as well. Great poem.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for your comment atothewr!
Such a wonderful poem Cathy. I feel guilty about removing some caterpillars from my cabbages now as they won’t have chance to ever flutter-flit!
I especially liked that expression “flutter-flit”! Can you put a net over the cabbages to stop them laying their eggs there? Isn’t gardening frustrating!… I sacrificed two huge pots of rocket and salad leaves to the cabbage white caterpillars this summer… 😉
Beautiful poem! The caterpillar is Acronicta rumicis.They feed more on wild grass (Ampfer, thistles).
Thank you Uta! I was hoping you might know what it is! 😀 So it won’t become a pretty butterfly… just a plain moth. He’s prettier as a caterpillar!
you really write very well. Beautiful poem!
I can’t take credit for this! It was written by a British poet, Joseph Lauren, early 1900s!
ops then I can say you know which poems to choose! I love it! Excuse my ignorance I don’t know much about British poets 🙂
Don’t worry! I doubt if many people have heard of this one… I only know of three poems he wrote, and they are all lovely. The author isn’t even in Wikipedia!
That poem is new to me. I like very much. For all the butterflies I have seen this summer, I haven’t seen a lot of caterpillars.
I haven’t either, despite hunting for some now and then… except the cabbage whites on my salad leaves… 😦
Haven’t come across Joseph Lauren before, but it’s a lovely poem – I’ll have to see if I can find some more of his work to read.
There’s a nice one about a frog- http://holyjoe.org/poetry/lauren.htm and one based on the old Aesops tale called The Fox and the Grapes: http://mc-teacher.wetpaint.com/page/%22+The+Fox+and+the+grapes%22+by+Joseph+Lauren
I don’t know if he wrote any others… these were in a children’s poetry book I saw last winter!
Thanks Cathy! I’ll have a look – might even get the kids interested too.
I like this lovely poem.
I love it too Elisabeth!
After watching them munch away as well as visit me eah day on their beautiful wings I appreciate this so much more and that you shared it makes it that much more special Thanks Cathy
HUGS
from me to use across the miles
Hi Eunice – glad you liked it too. In the winter months I’ll be seeking out poems to go with old photos, and maybe write a few too! LOL!
NICE!
Can’t wait. Have a great weekend you will hear all about mine when I return from the mountains 🙂
There is the ugly duckling story as well, though I prefer this poem. Thank you for sharing it with us. – http://mary-goingnative.blogspot.com/
I think I like this story better too!