It's a mix of both realms in the natural world;
a kingdom of beauty and a kingdom of brawn; 
and sometimes a kingdom that includes both, 
in such a way that it's all about one's perspective. 

Beauty fluttered in one recent day,
Upon hairy wings of orange and gray. 
The Inornate Ringlet Butterfly
May have lacked adornment, 
But its textures and lines and colors
From the zebra-striped antennae 
To fringed wings gave pause
In its teeny exquisite way. 

On a much larger scale, 
Upon a clover posed, 
A Tiger Swallowtail seeking sugary nectar
For a quick dash of energy 
As sucked through its extended proboscis. 

While the nectar provides nutrition,
It's not enough for that which is 
Utmost upon the butterfly's mind, 
If it is a mind they have, 
Or perhaps pure instinct
That urges them to reproduce. 
A stronger drink is indeed necessary.

The White Admirals
Embraced the same "thought" 
As they congregated 
On a small pile of scat. 
Mud. fermenting fruit, and carrion
Provide the same, 
That stronger drink
A source of sodium and minerals
That males store in their sperm
And pass on as a betrothal gift 
When they canoodle with loved ones, 
Ensuring that a little extra zing
Gives her eggs a better chance of success. 

Canoodling is also
At the forefront of 
The Luna Moth's adult form,
So much so, 
That it has no mouthparts 
Or digestive system
Despite its large body. 

With less than a week to mate,
This large silkworm moth
Must smell the pheromones 
Of a female counterpart,
and then . . . and then, 
Death doth come 
As is visible by this find. 
But still it provides an opportunity
To note those broad feathery antennae, 
The light green wings that match the color of leaves, 
And the reddish-brown forewing edges 
Branching out like twigs
In an attempt to avoid predators.

Another nectar feeder, 
The Clearwing Hummingbird Moth,
Hovers with its body stationary
As its transparent wings beat
In such a quick manner 
That they are nearly invisible. 
Unlike most moths, 
These take to the air 
Throughout the day. 

The subject matter transitions
From butterflies and moths 
To others such as a female Metallic Green Sweat Bee,
So named for her color 
And preference for seeking salts upon our skin.
Thankfully, unlike some bees, 
She isn't aggressive.
Rather, she's a buzz pollinator,
One who grabs the anther 
Of a flower with her mandibles, 
Curls her abdomen around it,
Vibrates her wing muscles, 
And relishes with glory 
As the anther releases its pollen, 
Which she gathers
Upon her hairy hind legs.

A Spring Fishfly 
I accidentally agreed was a Lacewing
In the field, 
Rests upon a twig 
As is its daytime habit, 
Wings pleated and folder 
Over its shorter abdomen. 
Like the Luna Moth, 
It only lives a few days as an adult. 
The feathery antennae 
Identify it as a male,
One with a twinkle in its eyes. 

Though kind of creepy in nature, 
The Woolly Alder Aphids 
Lead an interesting life. 
Eggs are laid upon Silver Maples, 
And as leaves burst in spring, 
Feeding takes place along the midribs. 
A winged generation soon follows,
Taking advantage that it looks like airborne seeds, 
As it floats through the airways
Until it reaches a Speckled Alder. 
Each little insect is coated 
With waxy streamers that shed water. 
As they imbibe on the Alder's juices
In an effort to gather sufficient nitrogen, 
They release unwanted carbs
In the form of honeydew,
And ants kick into action,
Farming the aphids 
To take advantage 
Of the sweet secretion. 

All is not pretty
In the natural world
Where though some 
Don't have a meal on their minds, 
Others must dine,
Such as this spider, 
That spent several hours
Wrapping a damselfly
For a future meal 
Upon an American Beech leaf. 

That was the first example of brawn, 
An exhibition of physical and muscular strength. 
In the case of the spider, 
I'm not sure I spotted an equal amount of beauty. 
But this Stream Cruiser, 
With its Oreo Cookie coloration
Was a sight to behold,
Despite the fact
That it beheld a meal of it own. 

And finally there was
The Dragonhunter, 
A clubtail dragonfly
Revered for its wide tail,
Large size,  
And bright colorations,
But feared for being 
The Monster of the Dragonfly World 
Due to its aerial ambush
Upon other dragonflies and anything else it can eat. 
It appears there is possible meal 
Dangling below the feet and wings of this one. 

It truly is a world of beauty,
but I recognize also 
that eating for the sake of reproduction
means that brawn is an important part of the mix
in this world of wonder. 

Two kingdoms indeed.