This is how the journey begins—
milkweed pods pop and seeds fly high.
The seeds wait to grow until next spring
then blossom ready for Monarchs to dine.
Butterfly bushes and milkweeds bloom—
this is how the journey begins,
as Monarchs flit, and suck sweet sap.
Do Monarchs and milkweed have a chat?
Their hungry caterpillars grow and munch
rest as cozy coccoon, under a green coat.
This is how the journey begins—
silent Monarch on silent milkweed.
Then colorful Monarchs start a new reign
fly south in thousands, cluster on trees.
And milkweed pods pop to make seeds fly
and this is how threats may begin.
A Pennsylvania school board member said she received death threats this month after her Facebook post was misinterpreted as celebrating the death of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, according to news reports. The Sept. 10 Facebook post, created by Homer-Center School District board member Misty Hunt, was uploaded the same day Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. In a separate post around 11:20 p.m., Hunt explained the caption of the misconstrued post was supposed to be paired with a video of milkweed seeds blowing in the wind, which she releases to help monarch butterfly populations. —PennLive, September 20, 2025
Lavinia Kumar’s latest book is Spirited American Women: Early Writers, Artists, & Activists—very short prose of near 100 remarkable women writers, poets, publishers, painters, artists, abolitionists, early suffragettes, and activists.
