"ommatidia" poems
The tip of the brush tickles the canvas
As it traces the outline of the illustrious
Wings. Followed by spindly antennae that almost
protrude from the white plane.
Bulbous eyes appear, starting with
one spherical ommatidia after another.
Then, an appendage in the like of
a purple passion vine twine stems from the head
of the envisioned creature.
The brush swooshes in the water
preparing for the most important
part of the masterpiece. Hues of blue begin
to form on a palette, one like the bright morning
sky—that will breathe life into the painting—
and another—the color of dusk—to add
the edge of reality.
Geometric shapes take form
in the wings for depth and texture,
like the odd shapes of rain drops on
a window after it rains. And then the
final touches, speckles of white on the outer
edges of the flying devices, faint
yet as noticeable as the petals of a dandelion
floating through the air.
Sep 8, 2014
Sep 8, 2014 at 4:16 PM UTC
I was born with 12 eyes
they said it would make it easier
to see the light
but it only left me inching
in a fog
hiding from shape-shifting shadows.
So I learned to consume the dark
with my mandibles
and let it seep in to my hemolymph.
The parasitoids laid out fences
of peppermint and lavender -
trying to cage me.
But the oak tree took me in
and let me rest upon her leaves -
told me to shed my old skin.
I hung myself upside down under her branches
tried to see the world from their point of view
but there was still so little light,
and the birds were cawing
threatening to have me for breakfast.
I learned to hold myself tightly,
wrapped in imaginal discs
that liquified my dreams
into a rich soup for me to drink.
I emerged
soft and wet -
with ommatidia that see in all directions
and bear witness to invisible colors;
and with wings formed like dragon scales,
that move in the shape of infinity.
Now I feast with my feet,
feeding on nectar of Chloris
and cross continents
while they marvel at how far I have come
from the ground they tried to keep me on.
May 8, 2025
May 8, 2025 at 9:57 AM UTC