The monarch butterfly
moves from zinnia
to zinnia, drinks
from each blossom,
its proboscis a fueling
tube filling its fragile
body for the long
return to Mexico.
I walk four blocks
to the local library,
four blocks back.
Eight full blocks
of intermittent
sun and shade,
tired and thirsty
when I return.
Poem by Martha Christina
Martha Christina is a frequent contributor to Red Eft Review. Other work has appeared in Crab Orchard Review, Star 82 Review, and Tiny Seed’s Pollinator Project. She has published two full-length collections: Staying Found (Fleur-de-lis Press) and Against Detachment (Pecan Grove Press).