Stag Beetle

Sleek black worry stone with legs,
she lives beneath decaying logs,
dines on honeydew and sap oozing
from decaying leaves and bark.
Her eggs, whitish larvae, hatch and sip
sweet juices of rotting oak,
willow, apple, and cherry trees.
She, too, is most vulnerable at home,
easily collected at night flying close
to the nest. Makes this buzzing sound,
little prayer. Gratitude gives her away.

Copyright © 2007 Karen Harryman All rights reserved
from Auto Mechanic's Daughter
Black Goat
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission