Within the whispered wind, bumble bees
fly their syncopated figure eights.
Praying mantises fall to their knees
…within the whispered winds.
Rich blessings float from heavenly gates
and set kissing dragonflies at ease
before all worldly sorrow abates.
Sunday psalms sung softly in the breeze
settle where the flock congregates.
Hallowed ambience exudes heartsease
…within the whispered wind.
Categories:
mantises, inspirational, natural disasters, religious,
Form: Roundel
Praying mantises, those arthropod thugs,
prey upon other, unfortunate, bugs,
"But who prays for the praying mantis?", I ask,
"And what lurks behind that killer's mask?"
After the males have fulfilled their function,
the females seem to lack compunction,
practicing sexual cannibalism, they say,
enjoying a nice meal after a roll in the hay.
While males consider this distasteful,
females say, "it's just not being wasteful".
Is the praying mantis truly mean and vile?
In the insect world, he stands on trial.
Speaking for aphids or ants or anything little,
I argue vigorously against acquittal.
Categories:
mantises, humor, insect,
Form: Rhyme
CHRISTMAS EVE GIFT MANTIS
In one hundred years
I saw a thousand mantises
on this Christmas Eve another
descended unexpected gift
for a northern Lightwave
whilst I stared at singular
Southern sky
She reminded about stillness
strategy soundlessness
embodied etiquette
empathy reflecting my
mirrors
we practiced prayers
exchanging piety for
piquant dreams
from triangular head
could I trust in timing
Careful calm collected
one leg up slowly
shake observe
turn head left
turn head right
Awareness quivers on
awaiting angle
divining a tiny trial of luck
focus no fidget
its Christmas Eve
ChristLight announced
from a darkly
lucid mantis womb
Her greenstick keys
unlock patient portals to
my Eternal Heart
©GhairoDanielsPoetry
&Song2024
Categories:
mantises, 12th grade, allusion, christmas,
Form: Alliteration
The world of insects is adither and abuzz
About the biggest party bash that ever was.
Their favorite time is near,
It comes just once a year,
The Annual Ugly Bug Ball.
Caterpillars, centipedes, and honeybees
Are sprucing up and rubbing rouge upon their knees.
Their costumes are brand new,
And soon they're going to
The Annual Ugly Bug Ball.
Moths and butterflies are practicing their dips,
The Arachnida are limbering up their hips,
And ants who love to dance
Hope they'll find romance
At this year's Ugly Bug Ball.
Both the mantises are planning to be there,
Such an elegant, sophisticated pair.
The husband is ideal
As dancing partner and a meal.
One mating tango, though, and he'll have done his share.
When the time comes they'll start streaming toward the hall,
Some will flutter, others scurry, creep, or crawl.
They'll frolic until break of day
To music the cicadas play
At the Annual Ugly Bug Ball.
Categories:
mantises, celebration, humor, insect,
Form: Light Verse
two women on a seesaw laughing their happy heads off
Like male praying mantises, except they did not scoff
wearing dresses and high heels which was absurd
Their husbands Phil and Lee walked by, without saying a word
Pretending they do not know their wives imbibe during the day
Something hard to not realize if you are looking their way
They were arguing now about whose seesaw was the best.
They were both on the same one, so it was no real test.
Let’s go to a ballgame, suggested Phil to his friend Lee.
They had no argument from their Gladys or Sammy.
Arguing now about whether the seesaw was blue or red.
Let’s stop by and pick up my favorite cousin, Fred.
Categories:
mantises, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form: Rhyme
The walls open their eyes just as
the mantises begin to weave
a loving celestial vibe, incensing
the onset of this boundless drive
Not questioning if one will retain
sentience, escaping for a time
confinement within her hive
machine-like serpentine's
propel mega metallic craft
exerting complex, magically carved
oaken ores
opening dimensional gateways
ascending straight-through
intensified vibrational planes
utilising the great wave
unlocking these secret doors
Fantastic crystal-blue eyed
gnomes with iridescent feather
shaped cheekbones perform
a dance, whilst oscillating
their elongated gold spoons
Traces of a nameless ancient face on
innumerable orange-pinkish moons
within vast space, divinely harmonised
eternally ringing out in high tune
Categories:
mantises, beauty, cool, moon, space,
Form: Rhyme
Emperor dragonfly had a ball
Stag beetle came big and tall
Water springtail brought housefly date
Common cockroach came without a mate
Eyed hawkmoth arrived in style
Caught ladybug’s winsome smile
Praying mantis brought sense of doom
Other mantises quickly left the room
Green lacewing came with water spring tail
Silverfish brought rest of supper from jail
Cicadas arrived with bottles of ale
Unusual feather bug came smelling quite stale
Bumblebee brought fresh honey and wax
Colorado potato beetle was holding his flax
Black ants brought chips from master’s house
Only one empty handed was elderly book louse
Morpho butterflies arrived dressed to dance
You could hear the music half way to France
Emperor Dragonfly’s shindig was a huge success
Firefly made magic with his sexy light up mistress
Everyone had a fine time except Praying Mantis who left mad.
Best Shindig ball the host, Emperor Dragonfly had ever had!
Categories:
mantises, 2nd grade, 3rd grade,
Form: Rhyme
Which are the silliest?
Seahorses or horses that see?
Which hops faster?
A grasshopper or a hopper full of grass?
Which would be more interesting to invite to tea?
A lady bug
or a lady that bugs?
Would you rather marry a praying mantis,
or a mantis, praying?
That last part is a tricky subtle gender
issue that relates only to praying mantises.
Categories:
mantises, 10th grade, 11th grade,
Form: Free verse
'Twas a soft, sunny evening—I was milling about,
basking in breezes and dying to doubt—
when at once I crossed paths with a fellow of charm:
a young gentle-mantis took perch on my arm.
He asked how I was; I replied: "Tis all fine!"
Then in good cheer I repeated his line.
At once he was nervous, and shuffled his wings.
I asked then if he was all right with all things.
He poured out his heart, so full of dark fear!
For he'd found a lady, and bought her a beer.
And tonight was to mate her, but there was a catch:
She might fancy him dinner—the poor, sorry wretch!
And then, I confess, I chuckled and sighed,
and the young gentle-mantis, he started to chide.
But I held up my hand, and said with a smirk:
"Your species has problems. Mine, too, has its quirk."
He asked in confusion just what I had meant,
and I relived all of the tears I had spent.
"Your women take only your bodies as tax;
Our women burn hearts as candles of wax!"
The mantis scoffed, said that we at least live,
and I shrugged my shoulders, for what did I give?
Better to perish while love is alive,
than drift through the years with no will to strive.
14 August 2016
Categories:
mantises, abuse, humor, irony, love
Form: Quatrain
Some conspicuous lice met once or twice
With white follicle mites who came out at night
And an upside down tick who did magic tricks
That entertained maggots who shared roasted haggis
With pole dancing worms who wriggled and squirmed
Under Chinese mosquitos munching burpy burritos
Chasing cobwebby crickets selling counterfeit tickets
To shows where no sensible grubs want to go
Warning churchgoing termites that these shows were a blight
On a class of weevil whose bite could be lethal
For marbleized moths drinking steaming Scotch broth
And sanitized beetles who had pins and needles
From sharing cold baths with nonsensical gnats
Watched by camp caterpillars strung out on painkillers
Sharing smokes with loud locusts who were very much focussed
On prostrate praying mantises with suspicious practices
Categories:
mantises, insect, nonsense,
Form: Light Verse
……CHILD’S EYES
When I was little I use to hear birds, singing in the trees.
There are so few birds today, where are they?
When I was just a child, I use to see caterpillars on every walk.
Did the long gone birds eat them?
When I was just four or five the world was so alive.
Now it seems everyone I loved has gone.
Has Jack-in–(his) Pulpit left it?
Did the painter give up his brush?
Because, where did he leave his Painters Pallet?
Or to some the Devil’s Paint Brush.
I use to see the tiny little flowers, everywhere.
From Lady Slippers, and Cattails, and Green Frogs, and great big Toads.
In every meadow and along the roads, Butterflies flitted by.
In every garden and wood, Walking Sticks, and Praying Mantises, intrigued me.
Spiders, and Painted Turtles, and bright red Lady Bugs, for my childish eyes to see.
These still remain a part of me, but how many Dragon Flies, do you see?
Categories:
mantises, childhood,
Form: ABC
There was a Mantis, a sweet young girl,
Who wanted to give mating a whirl!
She found a poor boy
With whom she could toy,
Who didn’t know his life would unfurl!
Footnote:
Some female Praying Mantises are notorious for eating their mates after or even
during the reproductive act. Strangely, this doesn’t deter the males, typical!
Categories:
mantises, funny, nature
Form: Limerick