slanted sunshine
caressing the fresh seedlings
hungry mistlethrush
© Rachel Green May 2020
Aunty May
gave me her collection of butterflies
caught in the tropics when she was young
each one pinned inside a glass case
and faded by sunlight
to an even beige.
The largest,
bigger than my two hands combined
was full of eggs
and I, with a shiny new microscope
and a nine volt battery
disected a sixty year old butterfly
to find there was a wasp inside
dormant but still alive.
In childish terror
I burned everything on the bonfire
and hid the microscope
in a box in the attic.
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