Swallowtail

Enticements

In the interest of science
let me pin your wings
to balsa wood.
Add your beauty
to the collection
growing in my glass case.

Come fly into my net.
I promise immortality.
I am not an avian predator.
I will not consume you.
I will preserve you.

I hold a flower out to you.
Taste its color, its nectar.
Beautiful its petals
to complement your wings.
Indulge my curiosity.
Fly to me.
Add your art to mine.

Darlene Moore Berg

PS: I only take photos of butterflies. This photo was taken this past weekend at my sister-in-laws backyard. This is an older poem.