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Green Grasshopper
by Kristina Woodhill
Clever
green grasshopper
your stop-over
kept us
coming back
day to day to day.
did you eye us
eyeballing you?
you,
the exact bright green and thickness
of the asiatic lily stems
yet you chose to rise above
and dared a unique disguise
nestling and holding still
in the cup of the red, red lily
oh, Buddha of the flower!
oh, Buddha of the open petals!
there we dissected you
with our simple eyes
our heads bent together in
counting your compound parts
one back leg intact
one back leg missing
two front legs, in fine condition
no wings, no wings, no wings
and you sat
and you sat
and you sat
and I thought of stories
of ants and you
kicking about the pages
of an allegory
and we listened for chirps or whistles
of songs like "The world owes me a living,"
but you did not
make a sound
the sun rose upon you
yet you did not seek the shade
the sprinkler rained upon you
yet you did not seek the nearby solid cover
the cats walked close by
rubbing stems below you
the horses neighed and jostled
in the neighbor's pasture
the magpies squawked their silly talk
atop fresh composting piles
the hummingbirds took all sweet nourishment offered
in quick sips, in seconds, in seconds, in seconds
and you, oh green guru of the flower,
though I saw no sign of eaten leaves,
your daily meditations absorbed your needs,
and you began to calmly compose
a silent, sacred song of
veiled and veined transparencies
each new note adding definition -
a substantive song that sang
the length of you
and gave you Elijah's promise
of renewed life
and opened to you
what one man who looked up called
the "infinite highway of the air"*.
I swear, kind reader, we did not blink
yet you, green grasshopper, are gone
and I, for one, am left
searching for an open lily
where I might light
and find my path to wings.
07/22/2008
Author's Note: *"Infinite highway of the air" - Wilbur Wright. This bright green grasshopper visited our back lily bed for at least a week and a half, unchanging and still, sitting within the bright red, open lily flowers until it began to grow its wings, and then in a blink, was gone.
Posted on 07/22/2008
Copyright © 2024 Kristina Woodhill
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Alison McKenzie on 07/22/08 at 06:28 PM This is the most incredible snap-shot of a week long visit by a most wonderful creature. I'm going to send you a private message about one interpretation of what the grasshopper's message is.... |
| Posted by Maria Massarella on 07/22/08 at 10:12 PM The green grasshopper visited the lily-bed, lingered a week and a half, she said. Yet were it not for your gazing-eye and open heart we would never have known of the grasshopper's meditative stay nor that it grew wings. How beautiful a way you have worded the poetry and more, this is. Thank you* m.a |
| Posted by Alison McKenzie on 07/22/08 at 11:05 PM Oh my gosh, the photo makes this SOOOO much more!!!!!! |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 07/23/08 at 09:00 PM What a besutiful telling of the development of a grass hopper. Great use of symbolism as well. |
| Posted by Brian Francis on 07/25/08 at 12:38 AM Nice photo and nice writing. I love th3e metaphysical bent. peace --bf |
| Posted by Rusty C Arquette on 07/25/08 at 10:44 PM A wonderful meditation in theme and word, so tranquil. Its simple study of nature offers the reader so many avenues to explore. Now a favorite. RCAt |
| Posted by Chris Sorrenti on 07/28/08 at 04:21 PM A life long nature nut, I really enjoyed this colorful and highly entertaining read Kristina. Thanks for posting it. ;o) |
| Posted by Quentin S Clingerman on 09/22/09 at 01:15 AM You have pictured in quaint detail the grasshopper as philosopher. A most enjoyable read. |
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