painted ladies

A burst of painted ladies
flit and fly around my head
carried by the vernal breeze
or violent Tehuano winds

on their migration from el sur,
twirling their colorful skirts,
pinwheels of iridescence,
in a manic Flamenco dance.

I do not have a net to catch them
(thank God!) or pin them to
a wall for my good pleasure;
they suffer most who stifle

the maker’s glory for gain
or pride or reputation,
forbidding Ehecatl to bring
the cleansing monsoon rains.

Liz McFadzean

In mid-March Painted Lady Butterflies filled the skies over Southern California, the prolific rains of this year delaying their migration and causing them to linger.  They migrate from Mexico, and this year there was a population explosion.  Millions floated on the winds for about a week.  

I was inspired by these immigrants from the south.  Their beauty reminded me of the culture from whence they came, so I borrowed my imagery from our southern neighbors.  Ehecatl is a pre-Columbian wind deity who features in the Aztec and other Central American mythologies.

The Tehuano wind is a northerly wind that originates in Eastern Mexico.  We are tempted to fear our neighbors to the south.  To be sure some bring violence, but they are just as capable of bringing with them a profound beauty.  We know that they are part of God’s diverse and lovely creation, to be celebrated more than feared.