Damoclean Dragonfly Poem by C Richard Miles

A Damoclean dragonfly dangles
as if suspended by an invisible
thin-spun string of sheer open sky.

An eye-bright iridescent marionette,
is kept tantalisingly stock-still
by summer's practised puppeteer.

He tempts, then toys and teases us
for several silver-skinned seconds
till he flicks a fickle, well-skilled wrist.

Whipped away, the brilliant-blue bodkin
shimmers into the dream-dim distance
lost, like rainbow's gold-pot treasure.