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A wreath adorns Appalachian State University’s Veterans Memorial in honor of Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. Photo by Marie Freeman

For Memorial Day: Poet Joseph Bathanti’s ‘Saint Francis’s Satyr Butterfly’

About Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday celebrated on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military.

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The first national celebration of Memorial Day took place May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery.

View larger image

Photo of the St. Francis’ satyr butterfly. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

By Linda Coutant
Posted May 24, 2019 at 4:35 p.m.

BOONE, N.C. — A species of butterfly found only at the Fort Bragg military installation in Fayetteville inspired former Poet Laureate of North Carolina (2012–14) Joseph Bathanti to craft the poem “Saint Francis’s Satyr Butterfly.”

A creative writing professor in Appalachian State University’s Department of English, Bathanti is also a dedicated advocate for veterans — facilitating numerous workshops and writing projects for military veterans and their families managing the aftereffects of combat and trauma related to military service.

He allows the reprinting of his poem at Memorial Day.

Bathanti has authored 17 books, served as the 2016 Charles George VA Medical Center Writer-in-Residence in Asheville and received the 2016 North Carolina Award for Literature. At Appalachian, he serves as the McFarlane Family Distinguished Professor in Interdisciplinary Education and writer-in-residence in Watauga Residential College.

Saint Francis’s Satyr Butterfly
By Joseph Bathanti

“All creatures have the same source as we have.”

— Saint Francis of Assisi

A reclusive small brown butterfly,
white and yellow stigmatic suns

deployed along its wing ridges,
Saint Francis’s Satyr — christened

after the 12th century Italian soldier
and POW turned mystic —

secretes itself, miraculously,
in 10 by 10 kilometers

of the 251 square mile brash
of Fort Bragg — exact coordinates classified —

beyond which — we know this much —
it has gone undetected. Shy, endangered,

preferring anonymity, it hides
in high artillery impact domains —

life often chooses death —
the fires triggered by bombardment.

It wears Marsh camouflage,
resembles in its favored habitat —

blasted sedge and beaver ruins —
a tiny standard issue

Advanced Combat Helmet.
Parsed from the chrysalis,

rent too soon from its dream of living,
the satyr blazes in desperate glory

but three or four days,
in its imaginal stage,

then tenders its life in writ sacrifice.
Its gorgeous numbers dwindle.

The caterpillar has never been seen.
We accept, on faith, metamorphosis.

This poem originally appeared in War, Literature & the Arts: An International Journal of the Humanities, published by the Department of English and Fine Arts at the United States Air Force Academy.

View larger image

Photo of the St. Francis’ satyr butterfly. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

About Memorial Day

Memorial Day is an American holiday celebrated on the last Monday of May to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the military.

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. The first national celebration of Memorial Day took place May 30, 1868, at Arlington National Cemetery.

How Memorial Day is commemorated

It is traditional to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. In national cemeteries, volunteers place an American flag on each grave.

The wearing of poppies in honor of America’s war dead is traditional on Memorial Day. The origin of the red poppy as a modern-day symbol of this day was conceived by Moina Michael after reading John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields.”

In war-torn battlefields, the red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to grow. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground is disturbed — as it was by the brutal fighting during World War I.

Today, poppies are both the symbol of loss of life as a symbol of recovery and new life, especially in support of those in service who were damaged physically or emotionally.

Memorial Day Ceremony at Boone Mall
May
27
Memorial Day Ceremony at Boone Mall

Presented by MOAA and Boone Mall

May 27, 2019
11 a.m.

All veterans and the general public are invited to attend this event to honor all those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we have today.

Learn more

Related links

  • Student Veteran Services
  • High Country Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America
  • Watauga Veterans Memorial unveiled in Boone

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

Appalachian, a 2019–20 Military Friendly® School, earns Gold distinction
Appalachian, a 2019–20 Military Friendly® School, earns Gold distinction
Feb. 1, 2019

Appalachian has held the Military Friendly® School designation for nearly a decade and continues to help military-affiliated students thrive on campus and in the Boone community.

Read the story
Joseph Bathanti: How I Write
Joseph Bathanti: How I Write
The Writer
Sep. 27, 2017

The poetry of Joseph Bathanti has been largely inspired by his work in prisons. We asked him about his writing process and inspiration.

Learn more
15 Appalachian student veterans aid in Hurricane Florence recovery efforts
15 Appalachian student veterans aid in Hurricane Florence recovery efforts
Sep. 28, 2018

Deployed to areas ravaged by Hurricane Florence, such as New Bern and Wilmington, Appalachian student veterans assist in emergency management services and relief efforts.

Read the story

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

View larger image

Photo of the St. Francis’ satyr butterfly. Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How Memorial Day is commemorated

It is traditional to fly the U.S. flag at half-staff from dawn until noon. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. In national cemeteries, volunteers place an American flag on each grave.

The wearing of poppies in honor of America’s war dead is traditional on Memorial Day. The origin of the red poppy as a modern-day symbol of this day was conceived by Moina Michael after reading John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields.”

In war-torn battlefields, the red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to grow. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground is disturbed — as it was by the brutal fighting during World War I.

Today, poppies are both the symbol of loss of life as a symbol of recovery and new life, especially in support of those in service who were damaged physically or emotionally.

Memorial Day Ceremony at Boone Mall
May
27
Memorial Day Ceremony at Boone Mall

Presented by MOAA and Boone Mall

May 27, 2019
11 a.m.

All veterans and the general public are invited to attend this event to honor all those who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we have today.

Learn more

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.

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Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian

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Archives

Appalachian Today is an online publication of Appalachian State University. This website consolidates university news, feature stories, events, photo galleries, videos and podcasts.

If you cannot find what you're looking for here, please refer to the following sources:

  • Podcasts may be found at Appalachian State University Podcasts
  • Stories and press releases published prior to Jan. 1, 2015 may be found in University Communications Records at the Special Collections Research Center.
  • A university-wide Google Calendar may be found at Events at Appalachian
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