A kaleidoscope of butterflies
To my haphazard garden flock over
A sight for sore eyes
As they pause and hover
Above the tiny, colourful phlox
Of varied and variegated hues
Among the forget-me-nots, roses, goldilocks
Yellows, reds, a couple of blues
They gaze at the phlox
Placidly, the phlox gaze back
Matching colour for colour, gaze for gaze
I decide to test my counting knack
And compare the rival scores
Butterflies, on my fingers, I count seven
Phlox too, likewise, ticked off on my toes
Odd numbers, both, the scores are even
Matter over, the butterflies rise
Flapping their wings and flock away
The phlox remain, grounded and wise
And, in the breeze, gently sway
Here, counting and tallying done
There, pollen dusted
The mental exercise was fun
My numeracy skills haven't rusted
~ SK, financial year ending, 2023-24
