two poems, one moth

I am Actias luna,
Moon moth in the sunshine
On a hot sidewalk
And flopping in the grass
Out of place
In the heat and brightness of day
I couldn’t make it home
Before sunrise
And now, I’m trapped
And confused,
Trampled underfoot carelessly
By those who are too busy
To look down,
Handled roughly by those
Who find me an oddity, a curiosity,
Or who just want to pin me to a board
So I can never fly away again.
I’m lost
I’m scared
I’m alone

Long ago
There was a soft green moth
As big as my seven-year old hand
That flopped in the shade, in the dirt
Next to the playground door
And couldn’t find the energy to
Fly
I told the teacher,
She said, “Do it.”
So I went,
Rubbing my sweaty hands on my shorts
To dry them
And I carefully, gently
Picked it up
Cupped my hands around it
And I ran
Ran
Ran out of the playground
And across the parking lot
And behind the gym
Into the deep woods
(we were forbidden to go there)
And I held it up to the air
And said goodbye
And be safe

And
It
Flew.