The Mantis

-

 For DVerse's Quadrille #206 - Around the Bend 

"Pen us a poem of precisely 44 words (not counting the title), including some form of the word bend (past tense of it is ok also.)"

praying mantis on gladiola ©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson

Her forearms bent in prayer,

she slowly moves 

among the blossoms.

She pauses, turns her head

to look warily at me.


You have nothing to fear 

from me, Mantis.

I welcome you 

and promise to protect

your future progeny 

'til spring ushers them forth. 

©2024 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved

praying mantis egg case winter 2023 ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson

#quadrille #prayingmantis #prayingmantispoetry #dverse #quadrillemonday

Comments

  1. JadeLiAugust 19, 2024 at 9:15 PM

    She and her offspring are blessed to have an ally in you, Lisa. Great photo!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Callsign SantaAugust 20, 2024 at 4:40 AM

    A very tender look at nature...

    ReplyDelete
  3. ben AlexanderAugust 20, 2024 at 10:00 AM

    Oh goodness, Lisa, what a loving, appreciative poem. This was a delight for me to read.

    Much love,
    David
    SkepticsKaddish.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nicole HorlingsAugust 20, 2024 at 1:24 PM

    Lovely, Lisa!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousAugust 20, 2024 at 5:23 PM

    I found this quite interesting as a praying mantis had recently entered my life. I considered writing about my encounters. Your poem made me smile. - Truedessa

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Morrigan

-
Image
 Weekly Scribblings #45: https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2020/11/weekly-scribblings-45-artistic.html A picture prompt this week, prose or poetry inspired by one or more of three paintings.  I chose two,  'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow, and 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy. 'Carnival Dreams' by Shelle Kennedy      Beautiful, you are,      though your thoughts are dark,      and bitter.      A macabre carnival of emotion      battles in you.        The heart you wear      belies the fury      of the one that beats.        Your face tells.      Tells of suffering,      loneliness,      too much despair      in one so young.      One still hoping.      Yet not daring to hope.   Hope!   The red balloon you cling to. Hope! Straining skyward.       'Beautiful, YOU are' by Magic Love Crow Look outside the gates. Outside your grim carnival and watch the crows at sunset fly in
Read more

Untitled Golden Shovel

-
Image
 Writers' Pantry #52  https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/2021/01/writers-pantry-52-years-beginning.html I've been playing with some new, to me, poetry forms.  April is the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, and my plans are A-Z of poetry forms.  I like to get a head start, especially since I also participate on my other blog.   This is a Golden Shovel. It was created by Terrance Hayes, an award-winning poet and professor in New York.  https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/terrance-hayes The "rules" are: take lines, or one line, from an existing poem take each word and use it, in order, as an end word in your new poem give credit My poem uses the words from the last line of Edna St. Vincent Millay's Time Does Not Bring Relief (Sonnet II), "and so stand stricken so remembering him."             I had told him “yes” already, and it’s too late to change that now, so I let my words stand though I am stricken at the thought.   I am so cr
Read more

Crow and Moon - Five Very Brief Poems

-
Image
Writers' Pantry #72   photo prompt: The Sunday Muse #162     Crow, or idea of Crow. Moon's interpretation. Crow admires. Crow-in-moon admires back. a moon a crow my soul is filled   Crow and Moon meet in reflection, their own counsel to keep.  Crow, speak to me, tell me secrets of the moon. ©2021 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
Read more