I was then, a boy of barely seven,
One day I was sauntering in my garden.
While I watched and touched the flowers,
Saw a dragonfly in the afternoon hours.
It had two pairs of transparent wings,
With pigments tattooed in colorful rings.
It had six long legs that remained folded,
Beneath its beautiful wings tinged with red.
The legs unfolded as it perched itself on
The flowers, the petals or the grass of the lawn.
It had a brown head with multifaceted eyes,
That could rotate at will though so small in size.
I made several attempts to catch it by its tail,
Twice I aborted but the third time I didn't fail.
Stealthily moving, just as I grasped the tail's tip,
I realized, it was my forefinger that he quickly bit.
A semblance of blood on my finger tip oozed out,
Not much pain, yet I wanted to tear its wings apart
But, studying the detailed anatomy of its body parts,
Its sheer tininess made me release it with no hurt.
@ Gary H Thank you very much for your comments on my poem. Your words are nice compliments.
@ Susy Evelyne Thanks for your comments on my poem. I am so glad that you liked it. I also felt happy to write the words 'the multifaceted eyes and the tattoo rings'.
It’s a nice poem . I think you know dragonfly sometimes wants to be Spider man. I wish you could see this. It suit stretched very far and then add a tail and wings to the spree. It can also put the local spiders busy, spinning a great web in a very big tree. Unfortunately when it sit on it, it weighed a tad too much! Golly Ge! ! !
Thank you Dr. Ali, for reading my poem and leaving a kind comment here. Almost same or similar comment has appeared four times, due to some system malfunctioning. I am deleting the first three.
A beautiful poem, my friend. I love all aspects of nature and frequently study it in detail, marveling at the intricacies and sheer beauty. The releasing of the dragonfly without any harm was the perfect end to this childhood tale. May butterflies adorn your next commune with nature
'May butterflies adorn your next commune with nature' - so wonderfully said and wished, dear friend Kelly! I think most poets have a fascination for nature and birds. I am glad to know you liked my poem. Thanks for the appreciation!
@Electric Lady Thank you so much for reading my old poem and leaving a kind appreciation. I am truly inspired.
I enjoy your efforts to capture in imagery and detail, the mystery of a dragonfly. They have intrigued me since the day some 5 or more years ago, when I was on a field trip with my 4th grade students to a Native American Day at a local university, and an elderly Native American man played a flutelike instrument- -a song to speak to or call the dragonfly. The next day I was at a seminar where a large dragonfly entered the room and kept circling....Do they indeed bite?
@Sj Holland, Thanks for reading my poem and leaving your kind words here.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
@ Lasoaphia Quxazs, Thank you very much for reading my poem and leaving your comment here. I am inspired. At that time, honestly, I didn't learn anything. But now, on hindsight, I think I can say that the lesson learned could be: 'Do not disturb nature, everybody has a right to live and to a living of its choice.' Or... 'Everybody has a reflexive mechanism of self defense.'