BEAUTIFUL MONARCHY

PAUL TROWBRIDGE,—SEDGWICK, MAINE

One morning last summer, I arrived with a few family members at our favorite camping spot in Deer Isle, Maine, to find hundreds of Monarch butterflies feeding on purple asters. As we walked past a clump of flowers, a plume of them took flight, shimmering in the air.

I'd never seen so many butterflies before, and felt privileged to be among them. If I moved very slowly and quietly, they allowed me to take pictures at close range. This is one of those images.

The light shining through this butterfly's wings radiated with color. The camera stopped the action of the wings so that I could see their curvature and perfect design. I noticed the hooked legs, which help butterflies hold on to flowers even in a robust wind.

What symbols of beauty, delicacy, freedom, and poise, I thought. No wonder Mary Baker Eddy spoke of "winged winds" and "festive flowers" pointing to "Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect" (Science and Health, p. 240).

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