The Morning Porch » tiger swallowtail butterfly

The groundhog emerges from her sun-...

Dave Bonta — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:10:34 +0000

The groundhog emerges from her sun-flooded burrow beside the porch and whistles in alarm. The shadow of a tiger swallowtail crosses my legs.

Dave Bonta — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 17:58:00 +0000

A tiger swallowtail butterfly glows in the strong sun like stained glass. In the shade, a freshly bathed phoebe straightens its feathers.

Dave Bonta — Sun, 29 May 2011 17:55:45 +0000

A silk thread—spiderweb? Caterpillar line?—fetches up against the hairs of my arm, sticky, barely visible. A swallowtail’s random dance.

Dave Bonta — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:40:21 +0000

Yellow stained-glass wings of a tiger swallowtail circling the shadowed yard. The smell of cowshit wafts up from Sinking Valley.

Dave Bonta — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:03:14 +0000

A tiger swallowtail is laying eggs on the lilac and black cherry, dabbing each leaf with the tip of her abdomen, wings fighting the breeze.

Dave Bonta — Sun, 02 May 2010 14:13:46 +0000

Tiger and spicebush swallowtails circle the white lilac. Leaves blow backwards. A ruby-throated hummingbird hovers a foot from my nose.

Dave Bonta — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:19:36 +0000

A groundhog among the daffodils rears up on its haunches like the very large squirrel that it is. A tiger swallowtail careens past.