Never Give Up

I was sad to hear today that Jeopardy host Alex Tribek had died from Pancreatic Cancer. He resolved to work as long as possible, Even with chemo treatments and pain, he worked until two weeks ago. Unlike the butterfly in the pictures, he did not show his battle scars. He carried on until the end and never gave up. An example for all of us.

Battle scars showing

Butterfly never gives up

We miss you, Alex

I saw this beautiful creature on my butterfly bush a couple of years ago. It has much of it tails shredded and missing. It seemed unphased as it flitted from flower to flower drawing strength. Even with all its damage, its true colors still came through. These photos seemed to fit so well with the passing of Alex Trebek.

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Changing Focus

When life overwhelms

Focus on what’s important

Nature’s beauty calls

This has been great painting weather. Today I found an old painting I did back in 2013. It was a black swallowtail from my garden on a 4′ x 5′ canvas. I liked the painting but it was too big for anyone to be interested in, so I cut it down to 31″ x 48,” leaving just he butterfly, and used the top half for another painting I did last year. I had the canvas stored rolled up and it had a couple of places that were damaged, so i decided to remount what was left and touch it up. It turned into a greater restoration than I expected, but I like the end results.

Butterfly Painting – Dwight L. Roth

Special Valentine

Fragile yet so strong

Floating on the breeze of life

Special Valentine

*****

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

When My Spirit Rises

When my spirit rises
Unencumbered and free
No weight or worry accompanies me
Interesting that I value things
When in the end the spirit flies
Leaving them all behind
How much I worry and fret
But this too shall pass when I am gone
My spirit rises out of this shell
A virtual butterfly reborn
From caterpillar to chrysalis
Reborn in the image of God
Spirit Creator Redeemer Savior
Knowing there is no place for the earthly
In the spirit world beyond
I can’t take it with me
But then again… Why would I want to?
When my spirit rises
Leaving it all behind

*

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

This is a poem I posted a year or two ago.

Missing Pieces

I saw this beautiful butterfly on my orange Zinnias today, as I was mowing my back yard. He did not seem to mind as I got very close with my iPhone to get a few photos. Later, when I looked at the photos I noticed he had the outer edge of his right wing missing as well as one of the tail pieces.  I had to think how this butterfly is just like us with all of our flaws and missing pieces. Best of all, I saw it did not make it any less beautiful at all. With all of our flaws, we too are still beautiful, created in the image of God.

Beautiful creature

Even with missing pieces

We are still worthwhile

iPhone Photos: Dwight L. Roth

 

 

 

 

Swallowtail’s Anniversary

Every year about this time at the end of July

The swallowtail returns to grace my flower garden

Natures clockwork in a world with no thought of time

This year is different // half a tail gone // snack for a bird

 

Like a Rorschach print inked on only half a page

Still she flits and floats among the Zinnias mixing with the bees

Her handicap does not keep her from achieving her destiny

 

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Frank, at d’Verse, suggested we might write a seven line poem to celebrate the seventh Anniversary of d”Verse~Poets Pub. I saw this beautiful swallowtail on my flowers this week and took a number of photos.  Here are three of the best.  Come join us at d’verse poets:  https://dversepoets.com

 

New Life in the Garden

Today is Easter Sunday and a time to celebrate new life. Spring is such a wonderful time of the year in so many ways. Flowers are starting to bloom, and today I saw my first butterfly of the season. The petals of the flowers are a wonder in themselves, so thin and fragile, yet so gorgeous. The lilac’s fragrance is better than any manmade perfume.  The butterfly had a piece out of his beautiful gossamer wing. Like us, his deficiency does not seem to stop him from enjoying the new flowers blooming in my backyard. I can see God’s handiwork everywhere around me on this beautiful day of life new and renewal. Do we realize how blessed we all are when we see these special gifts. Take time to smell the flowers.

Fragile

So amazing that something so beautiful can be so fragile

Petals of soft silk

Translucent wings of spectacular design

How wonderful that flowers

Here today and gone tomorrow

Can bring such joy and wonder

Our reminder of new life

Cycling before our eyes

The glorious sun captured in the petals

So fragile that even a touch can destroy

Left alone can remind us of God’s hand

In everything we see and do

How can one believe it all just happened

From noisy matter or condensing water

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Photos: Dwight L. Roth

First Friday in Waxhaw

It was a beautiful evening to be painting on the sidewalk in Waxhaw, NC. I decided to try painting my yellow swallowtail butterfly that I had printed on canvas. The printer roll ran out and only printed two thirds of the picture. They gave me the half printed canvas since they were going to have to throw it away. I drew in the missing part of the wing and using acrylics, repainted the whole thing with the colors that were already there. Here is the result. Poetry in motion!

This is my finished painting of the Photo in the background.

You can see on this photo the missing part of the right wing and the flowers above. The waterfall in the background is also one of my paintings.

This was the finished product after I painted over the whole print with the same colors that were on the original photo. As you can see I love painting as well as writing poetry. I do a lot of my paintings on recycled canvases that I buy at the Habitat For Humanity Restore where I volunteer, and fix things for them to resale, two afternoons a week.