Rosemary of Where Five Valleys Meet had an interesting post last week about mayflies and their final "dance" before laying their eggs (click here to read). David of Travels With Birds also wrote last week about how British mayflies are currently seriously threatened by water pollution and climate change (click here). These posts got me thinking!
One summer many years ago, I spent a day in Gimli, Manitoba, on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, during its annual mayfly (or as we call them here in Canada, fish fly) infestation. MILLIONS of them EVERYWHERE, on every roadway and surface. Not particularly pleasant but a true natural phenomenon.
Mayflies have a notoriously short life span (approximately 24 hours at most). But everything is relative, isn't it, as seen in this beautiful and wise poem which contains a lesson for us all --
MAYFLY DAY
by Jeanne Willis
Here is Mayfly.
It is her first day on earth.
It is also her last.
Mayflies only live for one day.
But is she sad? Not at all.
She is happy to be alive!
This isn't any old day.
This is the best of days.
She lives for each moment.
She sees the world begin.
She hears the crack of dawn.
And bathes in its golden glow.
A billion buds burst open.
All for her!
She tastes their honey.
Mayfly sees eggs hatch.
Babies born.
Lambs learning to stand.
The business of ants.
The dizziness of children . . .
The loveliness of things.
She feels the sun's warm hug.
The kiss of summer rain.
The magic of the rainbow.
It is her wedding day.
Trees throw confetti.
There are games on the lawn.
Breezes blow, bells chime.
Birds sing! She dances
to the music of the universe.
Mayfly lays her eggs.
It is a peaceful night.
The best of nights.
She makes one last wish:
"Little ones, may all your tomorrows
be as perfect as my yesterday!"
Mayfly watches the moon come up
and the stars go out.
And is thankful for her wonderful life.
I remember driving over a bridge on hatch day, through a swarm so thick you could barely see.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful poem!!!!!!! And the message also here is to "Live LIVE! Life is a banquet...and some poor suckers are starving."
ReplyDeleteSome summers we are infested with them too...on everything....but after the poem I will now think differently of them.
Wistful little poem, eh?
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever actually seen a mayfly.
What a beautiful poem. And the whole idea of mayflies does get one thinking.
ReplyDeleteI honestly didn't know much about the Mayfly until reading the blog post you linked. WOW.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is charming!
A beautiful reminder to adjust one's thinking. Enjoy the time you have because a trout might take it all away!
ReplyDeleteE
I didn't know they only lived a day. Very interesting. But, I do remember once camping when they were so thick we couldn't sit at the picnic table to eat. The swarm was bad. Lovely poem. Thanks for the share.
ReplyDeleteMayfly has the right idea!
ReplyDelete"Lambs learning to stand." What a sweet poem filled with magical images.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this.
Bloody hate those things.
ReplyDeleteMillions? No thanks 🚘
ReplyDeleteI love the poem ~ TFS!
ReplyDeleteSuch a wonderful post. I now know a bit about Mayflies. Their life journeys are similar to cicadas that shines for the brief moment after lurking for so long.
ReplyDeleteGreat post as usual before I rush to work again
What a lovely poem - make the most of your time here on earth for it is finite.
ReplyDeleteEverything has its day, and somethings only one.
ReplyDeleteLove the poem!
ReplyDeleteAnd I have never witnessed anything like that. I would freak out. The catholic boy in my would start thinking 'seven plagues'...
XOXO
A manifestation of mayflies. A swarm. A huge encounter.
ReplyDeleteA miracle of mayflies.
I heard that when there are that many, you can just scoop them
and parch toast them and cook them with the rice, polenta,millet, what have you. You can talk about them for years.
They only live in clean water, or at least clean enough.
I have never been infested by a mayfly, but they are a fearsome sight when they do this.
My wife's aunt and uncle lived along the Mississippi in northern Illinois. A few times when we up to visit it was mayfly time. You couldn't walk down the sidewalk without hearing crunch crunch crunch.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the lovely poem and mention Debra - a Mayflies life is ephemeral.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting post and the link to my blog. Both are much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHere's my pedantic comment. The adult mayfly lives only a day (or two?) but the stage before adult, nymph, can live for years in the water.
ReplyDeleteNow if the insect has goals and a memory of the past (?), this very short flying in the sun and quick mating would be worse than retirement.
Loving that poem!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping the lanternfly don't steal the mayfly's thunder. Nice poem.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post and poem. Have a great day today.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful poem. In the scheme of things our own lives are as ephemeral. We need to live them the same way.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome poem! The mayfly makes the best of the time that she has. A reminder to live in the moment and for each moment.
ReplyDeleteLove you for sharing this exceptional post and exquisite poem dear Debra!
ReplyDeleteI feel what matters most is quality of life we live not quantity.
Moments are her days.
Days are my moments :)
That is a really sweet poem!
ReplyDeletedo we have those in Texas? but I love that poem.
ReplyDeleteLove the poem!
ReplyDelete