Anax junius

Two hemispheres
of refracted light
meet
at the top
of your head.

two       pairs     of       cellophane       wings     cut       the       air,
two     pairs     of       seraphim         wings.

you hunt
elegant
stalk wasps
butterflies
beetles
you snatch
damsels
from the air
devouring
expertly
masticating
first their
tiny heads
then
mashing the rest with your
mandibles.

your body
is a
brittle
blue
needle
carved from turquoise
carved
from a piece
of the
sky
.


Melissa Williams

"Common Green Darner", a dragonfly of the Family Aeshnidae (Order Odonata). Found throughout the United States and down to Panama, up into in southern Canada and Alaska, parts of Asia, and in northern Europe.

Males have blue abdomens with a black stripe, while females are brown with pale blue to greenish-yellow spots. Both have clear wings. They migrate, in both the spring and fall. They feed on insects, including mosquitoes.

They live near stagnant or slow-moving fresh water. The males are often seen racing and fighting over the water, protecting their territory.

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