Poems (Ripley)/To a Beautiful Moth

by Lillie Rosalie Ripley

TO A BEAUTIFUL MOTH

Thou denizen of the night, how fair you are!
 How softly brilliant are your lovely wings!
Unlike the butterfly your markings are,—
 Ah you are one of earth's most dainty things.

With wings outspread and clothed with many tints;
 Of red and gray and brown and black and white,
That merge into each other, thus giving hints
 Of colors undeclared, thou lovely wight!

In thick white velvet is your body dressed,—
 And stretched across are bars and rings of brown
Edged all in black; of plumey brown thy crest;
 And two small plumes of black spring from your crown.

All day you drowse and dream; for 'tis at night
 You flutter forth. And when night's sable wing
Descends, a tremor thrills you as with delight,—
 Thou denizen of the night! Thou brilliant thing!

'Tis when Diana throws a silvery veil
 Of moonlight o'er the earth, and primroses
Unfold their yellow blossoms in each dale,
 And o'er the earth a witchery reposes.—

And fireflies gleam and glance among the trees
 And flowers and grasses, like small drops of light:
'Tis then you flutter forth upon the breeze
 And soon are lost within the shadowy night.

From whence you came, or where you go, we know
 Not. Denizen of the night we wonder much
At thy great size and brilliancy. The glow
 Of thy broad wings, so soft withal, is such

I pause in wonder as I look at you.—
 Thou'rt one of nature's many beauteous things
Flashing across our path for us to view,
 Then fluttering out of sight on velvet wings.