"Destined Minds"

MOONLIGHT BUTTERFLY

And they come and they see not
They go and they hear not
The moonlight butterfly

Why do you not visit the flowers?
Soul of fluttering wings
Pure melody of the sky

Lifeless forms that pass
Like ships in the night
Beneath the moonbeams
That sheds it’s mysterious light

Transformed astutely, camouflaged
That in days beauty takes graceful flight
Protected in the vulnerable stage
So where do butterflies go at night?

Heading up into heaven’s sky
Disappearing from my sight
And hiding behind the grey clouds
Pure magic is the butterfly in moonlight

Or hanging upside down on leafy twigs
Hidden amongst the foliage
Or protected in a rocks crevice

Delight the wings of enchanted form
Give rise to inquisitive mind
Upon which is your beauties premise

Maree Long
(c) Maree Long 2007

www.freewebs.com/poetrybymareelong

SECRETS OF THE SEVEN GILL

A quiet foggy summer evening
Lurking in the shallows
A mysterious visitor
Within its mouth are the deathly gallows

Predatory in the murky waters
Living in deep channels of the way
You are the apex of predators
Along the shores of the Otago Bay

Glide and slice the waters deep
The treacherous monster pretends to sleep
With simple flick of the tail in an
Snakelike movement sweeps

And Pectoral fins that move like
The wings of an airplane pursues
Flying through the sea
Hunting anything that moves

And you like to sneak up on your prey from behind
work together hunting in packs you leer
Primitive and rare
Vestige of man’s own primal fear

Powerful saw like jaws
Elongated and slender is your form
Once found you your prey
The waters bloodied, the limbs are torn

You drag me deep far from safety
Textured skin sandy grey or reddish brown
And I find I’ve joined the food chain
No chance to drown.

So you can keep your secrets
For I will never tell
For I am beaten by torturous fear
And I have met my hell.

Maree Long
© Maree Long 2007

NATURE’S BEAUTY

Such is the creative force in the universe
That controls the characteristics of each beast known to man
That gives the essence and disposition
Of temperament at your command

The physical constitution that drives
The glorious creatures each one after it’s own kind
So harken the call of nature, Each within
it’s own species, by intelligent design

The powers which produce existing phenomena
So distinguishable and refined
The word that said “let it be”
That let’s nature’s beauty be defined.

Maree Long
© Maree Long 2007
www.freewebs.com/poetrybymareelong

THE CALM BETWEEN THE STORMS

Around the world six thousand lightning flashes
of passion ripping through the skies
and more than sixteen million thunder storms
are formed during any given year.

Lighting passes throught the air
heating it beyond repair
five times the temperature of the burning sun
explosive force that won't be contained.

Yes there is a calm between the storm
and regret in the afterwake
of what has transpired between the two
the lofty with their head in the clouds
and the other with their feet firmly planted in the ground

Be careful of the lightening bolt
that you are not in it's path
it is indiscriminate and cares not who is it's mark
so guard your mouth well before a bolt is thrown

Dark clouds may form overhead during
the day and catch you unawares
so guard the heart for the mouth speaks
what is protected there

Be wary of the calm before the storm
lest you be unprepared............

Maree Long
(c) Maree Long 2007
www.freewebs.com/poetrybymareelong

SHORT STORY

UNEXPECTED DISSAPPOINTMENT

The morning is fresh and warm and a slim framed school boy
in a grey school shirt has a steel plated scooter
in his hand trying to shoo a white bird of the sky
that seems to be grounded to safer ground...

Gentle was the boys nature and showed such care and concern
how proud I was to know that in this boy was a gentle heart
The boy manages as I park the car on the side of the road
to get the bird to co-operate and get on the footpath.

I suggest if he doesn't live far away perhaps he could get a box
to assist with transportation. I had already knocked on a
neighbors house but no was to answer. So the only friend
this winged creature had was this boy and I.

The boy then goes to a house and grabs some empty boxes he
spied in their front yard. And I do what I must and take off
my lovely crisp 'white' shirt....it's my only summer coverall
but this bird seems to have more need and the gala is not all
that white I am thinking and what if it is diseased...

So home I go, not living far away and call for my son to assist
and grab the cage from under the house as for ease of tranport
and as I'm driving to the Vet - the bird decides to give me a
fright by sqawking in the back seat...Perhaps because I don't
sing like Jane Birkin....lol

And at the Vet's I arrive and the bird is tranferred to a bigger
cage. So then I make an enquiry as to when I may pick it up.
But am dissapointed to find that it won't be returned and a
licence is required to keep such wild birds.

So then I dare ask the next question as to what will become
of this grounded bird and am told if well will be returned to
the wild....and then the next question is asked...I gulp not
really wanting to know but ask all the same...."What if the
bird is unable to be returned" what then. and I am bluntly told
it will be euthanaised rather than be caged.

My heart it sank, and tears began to form and roll down my cheek.
To think that would it not be better to live out its days pain
free and secure than suck the life out of these beautiful wings?

And I will still be compelled to make my enquires in the afternoon.
I pray my prayer will be answered and has the chance to be free once
again...

Maree Long
(c)Maree Long 2007
www.freewebs.com/poetrybymareelong