The bright purple,
                        blooming stand
of tall aster, 
                        against the wood’s edge,
                        behind the cattails of the marsh

draw me…

but it is the Monarchs,
                        wild for nectar on migration
mobbing the aster…

that hold me
                         at the edge of breath

for moments out of time.

Canon SX40HS. Program with iContrast and –1/3EV exposure compensation. 1680mm equivalent. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.