Red Admiral
You land on my hand
In the warmth
Of this Cornish summer evening

Your arrival takes me by surprise
And I hold still
To witness the special moment

One full minute
You sit in silence
Motionless
Sunning your wings
Of red, black and white

Back arched
Proud chest pushing forward
As if to say
‘Look at me!
Look how beautiful  I am!
You too
Can live a life as beautiful
If you can survive transformation’

The wings close
And I am shown the rippled bark-like brown
Of the underwing

I wait
Barely breathing
As still as the butterfly
And then
She is gone
Forever

But my poem
Will secure her visit
In my memory