Ethereal Beauty

Text and image © Carmen Mandel-Cesáreo

“On the deep green of our lawn at home, a striking colour made me halt: a big Monarch butterfly was lying on the ground. I approached her slowly and assessed the situation: was she going to flutter away, was she taking a rest in a warm day or was she spending her last minutes of life in my garden?.

“My heart shrank as I returned with my camera to find her still there. Her awesome wings fluttered slowly every now and then. She seemed to be dying. Very cautiously I knelt down close to her to capture her beauty with my camera. I wanted to stop time as I did not want her to die.

“I could come very close to her. Then, she revealed an amazing face and body in a polka-dot pattern: all black with white round spots. I shot many frames; I wanted to give her life; I wanted her to become immortal to grace the world with her striking beauty. She seemed to be looking at me; I could see her eyes in her big face. I did not dare move.

“She moved slowly and switched position. Her broad and bright orange wings were a feast to my eyes, yet I felt deep sorrow. I captured many frames of her. Then, I decided to leave her alone. The following day, first thing in the morning I looked for her, but she was gone.

“I wish it is a brightly coloured sky where she fluttered her striking
beauty to.”