Monday, April 13, 2009

Dragonflies and Tadpoles


Poem and Collage by Sue Miller

Except where otherwise noted, these works
are licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Tadpoles (May 7, 2008) by Pingu1963 / Marjon Kruik
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pingu1963/2473751214/
Caught (August 11, 2007) by D'Arcy Norman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dnorman/1084249431/
Dragonfly (July 15, 2008) by Krikit
http://www.flickr.com/photos/krikit/2675850356/

a young teen
exploring my neighborhood
other side of the dam
east end of Madrid Street

during summer monsoons
muddy pools
rainwater sat for days
stench from heat, humidity,
sun-baked growths
water life co-habitating
screaming frogs, blue
and red-wing dragonflies,
sun-drenched butterflies,
ugly tadpoles, biting mosquitos,
curious birds

I thought nothing of it
hopped on my bicycle
carried jars and butterfly nets
peddled to the dam
to the stinky pond

pretended to be a biologist
spent hours catching, scooping,
observing tadpoles and dragonflies
sometimes alone, sometimes
with brother Bill and his friends