Interfering with Mother Nature
Last night, I stepped outside to admire the stars for a moment or two. Lights of suburbia tend to dim the full glory of the sparkling pinpoints. How I love to look to the heavens scanning the sky for comet dust or satellites!
On the small back porch, I noticed a praying mantis perched on the top of my everyday walking stick. Drawing close to him, ( I first thought him/her a stick bug) I noticed how his head uncannily resembled the artwork depictions drawn by people who claim to have been abducted by aliens.
He walked off of my prized piece of wood and headed upwards towards the backporch light. Even thought the bulb is a bug light, designed not to attract, there are numerous active spiders building webs there. The mantis walked into a web straightaway, but the spider was busy wrapping and rolling his evening meal, which was some sort of smaller winged insect. I grabbed my stick and removed the mantis to a nearby bush, away from the possibility of his own vital juices beign drained for a spider feast. I gently touched his long, papery feeling body. He allowed me to pet him. I'd never stroked a praying mantis before. A few minutes later, he flew back to the porch and headed for the light and the danger zone once again. It crossed my mind that perhaps I was not to interfere with whatever scenario would be played out in the intricate web of nature. Nevertheless, I retrieved him on the end of my stick once again, putting him away from the light. I walked into my home quickly, shutting the light off in the hopes of deterring him from accomplishing the event that occurs when creatures are captured in silken webs.
Will I find him this morning, (wrapped tighter than a mummy) in the place he was determined and seemingly predestined to go?
posted by maya @ 4:21 AM
5 comments
The 
5 Comments:
A short while ago,I went out to see if the mantis had served as the spiders evening meal. He was nowhere in sight.....Now comes the part of the story, that is sadly....true. As I was sitting and eating my cereal, I had one leg crossed over the opposite knee. To my horror, I noticed a couple of litttle legs sticking out from the bottom of my rubber soled and grooved sandles. The mantis was imprinted on the bottom of my shoe......Quite dead.
Oh, Maya, that is so sad. It goes to show though that sometimes we humans quite unintentionally destroy that which we would like to spare.
I spend part of my life it seems removing insects from harms way, but I wonder how many I have unintentionally or accidentally killed. How many squirrels or other small rodents have I run over in my car when they have darted in front of my wheels? It's a sad fact but true.
Vi
Vi
Thank you for your expression of sympathy.
I must have been part of the intricate web, not interfering with nature, but playing my role.
The outcome is not always as I would have it.
OH Maya, I am really touched by your experience. Your writing is so very discriptive and visual. I am so glad you took the time to put all this on paper. Jane
What an amazing piece of, dare I say, Greek Tragedy. Thank you so much for sharing this Maya. It is very poignant
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