The Praying Mantis
Hey! You praying mantis,
what design do you conceal
in your greeting hands?
Why such humility?
I know your tricks.
Like a politician with politricks
you stand offering Namaste
to a tiny poor instinct
which , dumbstruck , forgets to move
and you gobble it up.
Even if your Namaste didn't work
you pounce upon it coercively.
You know how to get at a prey.
Camouflaged perfectly with new leaf green
from head to the end of tail,
you a leftward slanting handwritten small 'g',
the letter for green that harbours you
with all your tricks.
You Praying Mantis
like a wily seductive
always with some crafty purposes
hidden in praying hands
and simulating an innocent.
But Oh! you are a creature too,
like all others.
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- 24 August, 1999
