Meeting A Praying Mantis

 A Praying Mantis 

clover to bright emerald green 

landed on my sleeve

and lingered as I worked

in my hay field.

While I'm not much of 

a praying person,

my concern for a friend 

suffering from cancer

led me to ask the mantis

to consider praying for her. 

The creature

visibly 

pulled its legs

into praying 

position 

(which I realize 

actually indicates 

readiness for prey

although my sleeve 

held nothing but this creature 

and my bemused delight).

So I asked the mantis 

on behalf of my non-believer self,

projecting my real hope for 

my friend 

beating off the cancer 

preying on her. 

The mantis visit ended 

abruptly thereafter. The creature 

springing back into the field's stubble,

disappearing into the clover and grass.

In all my farming years, 

never has a Praying Mantis 

visited me in this manner. 

While our theologies

may not have converged, 

I felt grateful at 

this strange alignment 

of my request 

and the mantis' 

prayer-folding response.