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| Praying Mantis on bench outside my husband's office. |
don't sit here.
I'm praying.
Can't you see
my prayerful position?
My legs are joined,
my expression solemn?
I'd close my eyes,
if I could.
What?
You don't think
I am a spiritual insect?
Did you hear that nasty rumor
about me eating
my mating partner's head?
It only happens about
30% of the time!
And it is only for his
nutritional proteins.
A girl's gotta eat, you know!
I do lay the eggs -
300 is no small feat!
So, please move along.
I pray thee,
don't sit on me.
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| Join me for Poetry Friday hosted by the incomparable Jama at Jama's Alphabet Soup! |
What fun, Bridget! They're interesting, but they sure ain't pretty!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diane! I agree, she could use something to eat, just not her mate's head! =)
DeleteSuch a voice, harumph! The photo is fabulous, too, Bridget. He appears to be looking right at the camera.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda! Yes, I read that they can swivel their heads 180 degrees to focus their eyes on their prey. Luckily my husband's bottom wasn't her prey. =)
DeleteBridget, you created quite a young, spunky lady who has to eat but like to pray. Love the use of the pray in different contexts. I am hoping that you will have an offering for my newest gallery to be unveiled later this month-Spring's Symphony. Information is at http://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2015/06/envisioning-springs-symphony.html and mention of it again in today's Poetry Friday post.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol! I will hop over to your blog and check out the information. =)
DeleteNice!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eric! Sassy little insect isn't she? =)
DeleteI never thought about a praying mantis like this before. What a fun poem!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alex! Her eyes staring down the camera made me think this girl's got spunk! =)
DeleteOh my! Well, Bridget, you successfully got inside this Praying Mantis' head. I'm just glad you weren't part of the 30% when you did so. ;) Marvelous fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michelle! Yes, the unfortunate 30%, glad to not be one of them. =)
DeleteLove this! Great how you incorporated some facts and created a fun persona for this unusual fellow.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jama! I have always found Praying Mantises so fascinating to look at - seeing one hanging out is such a treat - that I had to learn more about them. Some of her "fun facts" found their way into my poem. =)
DeleteNice! Love your voice.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheila! This mantis has got some sass! (not that I would know anything about sass) =)
DeleteSo funny, Bridget!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Catherine! With how bony this insect looks, it seems she has a funny bone too. =)
DeleteShe looks a bit lean and hungry! I think she may be one of the 30% that snack on their mate's head! Then again, maybe it's the chubbier ones you need to watch out for. This one could be watching her figure!
ReplyDeleteToo funny, Donna! I think super models and praying mantises have a lot in common - a girls gotta eat! =)
DeleteShe looks too big to sit on, but too skinny to lay 300 eggs! I like a poem that mentions "nutritional proteins." Bonus points for that! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the bonus points, Tabatha! I'd hate to feel (or hear) her under my bottom as I sat down - instant spring up action! =)
DeleteLots of years we have brought preying mantises into the classroom for a few days of observation. They have amazingly expressive heads (that do turn and tilt) and wonderful triangular faces with big eyes. They are fearsome hunters (we fed ours grasshoppers) who devour their still-living prey.
ReplyDeleteSo cool to have one in your classroom, Mary Lee! I don't know if I could handle watching it devour a still alive grasshopper though. =) Also, I noticed that you spelled it "preying mantis" - everywhere I looked it up it was spelled "praying mantis". I hope I didn't mess up the spelling/meaning in my poem!
DeleteOh, but isn't she a self-possessed creature! Love the voice you created for our sassy narrator. Such fun! And, Happy Summer!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Robyn! Happy Summer to you, too! =)
Delete