Stomach-Flies
Only a dozen-ish species, I promise,
To look for around the park.
Well, maybe a few more, that we won’t spot,
Nor moths in the after-dark.
Some are only seen in the gardens,
And some underneath the trees,
And some won’t stay still long enough,
So best not sweat over these.
I tried to pay attention to you,
To ev’rything you said –
But your butterflies just flew around my head.
See, it isn’t so hard to tell them apart,
Bar the Whites – those two are close !
But ev’ryone know the Brimstones in yellow,
And Peacock will chime with most.
And the Red Admiral is red and black,
And the Holly Blue, well, that’s blue,
And the Orange Tip has bright orange tips,
And the Gatekeeper, eyespots two.
How I tried to pay attention,
To your fluttery, zig-zag crew –
The trouble was, I only had eyes for you.
The Comma looks ragged around the edge,
While the Ringlet is full of rings.
But Painted Ladies and Tortoiseshells, mind,
Have the self-same orange-black wings.
The Speckled Wood is a blur of brown –
But hang on, that’s thirteen…
Let’s leave it there, and come back noon tomorrow,
If you’re keen ?
So I’ll try to pay attention,
Give your fascination due –
While the butterflies ignore us, as they do.
Rhyming Couplets 