Repose’s Ugly Cousin

Today I awoke to a praying mantis on my doorstep.
It had its raptorial legs grasped around an acorn.
Jackal flies and biting midges were attacking it,
but it didn’t sweat that;
it just kept right on rollicking around with that acorn.
Soon I realized that it was in the midst of dancing.
Acorns make great dance partners for mantises,
it turns out.
I watched them in this delicate display of dexterity and harmonious accord;
the mantis performing rond de jambes and soubresauts like nothing that I’d ever seen.
The finale of all this was a wide-sweeping sissone ouverte tombé,
which left the mantis flattened out on the boards while the acorn tumbled away
and dropped off the edge of the porch.
I held my breath.
The mantis rose,
didn’t bow,
fluttered its wings, and flew away.
Afterwards I thought,
“All I do is spend my time sitting around waiting for something to happen,
but nothing ever does.”