Alive Just One Week
Alive just one week,
the Luna moth plastered
to my screen door
under porch light is
pale green and beautiful.
It has no mouth and lives
just a week so it can mate.
The female calls the male
in the middle of the night
silently with pheromones.
Keep your porch light on
from April through August
and open the door slowly
just after dawn when you
step out to get the paper.
She may still be there.
That’s not unusual at dawn.
The male has done his part
and like so many males
his role’s complete
so he moves on.
Luna moths must work fast.
Alive just one week, they
have no mouth and never eat.
Donal Mahoney
