The rhythm of the prairie
Hums and sings
To the beat of the tallgrass
All aflutter with wings
Wings, wings,
Everywhere wings
Flappin’ and buzzin’
They’re colorful things
Bee wings
Moth wings
Dragonfly wings
From flowers and grasses
They zing like bling
Electric blue folded
damselfly wings
The beautiful black on
butterfly wings
Some are graceful
Some pack a sting
Either way — in July —
I’m grateful for wings.*
*Mosquitoes notwithstanding
All photos by Cindy Crosby (top to bottom): (July on the Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL; yellow sulphur butterflies puddling on mud, Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL; dickcissel, NG: fritillary, SP; bumblebee on pale purple coneflower, SP; reversed haploa moth, SP; 12-spotted skimmer dragonfly, SP; trio of damselflies, SP; black swallowtail on flowering spurge, NG; common sooty wing butterfly on tall coreopsis, SP; widow skimmer dragonfly on leadplant, SP; honeybee, SP.
Tuesdays in the Tallgrass 