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Dragonfly Wings by Seth Snap

dragonfly and damselflies @ Audubon Society , Austerlitz, NY May 19, 2014

daytime calls the dragonflies
moonlight masks their sleep;
while damselflies fly ‘neath the stars
and nap in bright of day.

dragonflies see all the colors we see, plus ultraviolet light and polarized light; they can detect the
flickering of light at twice the rate that we can

dragonflies catch most prey with their jaws; they can capture larger prey by grabbing it with their
front legs and stuffing it into their jaws

hunting dragonflies can also be classified as either perchers or fliers
… clubtails, skimmers, and damselflies are usually perchers – they find a tall perch with a good
view, like a grass stem or dead week stalk, and sit there scanning for prey (often turning their
heads watching the air traffic); when they find the right size prey within range, they dart out,
grab the prey, and quickly return to the perch to eat
… darners, spiketails, cruisers, and emeralds are usually fliers – on a good flying day (warm, no
rain), they fly for hours, catching insects in midair and swallowing them while continuing on

Children Without TV #20 Focus

Papa Snowboard Ready

(Like his Papa…)

Oliver finds “ON”
swipes, taps twice, leaps through air, stretch-
es in 3D: grinds!

The grand kids explored my house as they played yesterday.
Counted dragonfly trivets, up to ten.
Inspected how the recliner extended.
How far would the rocker rock?
How many huge teddy bears could one hold while dancing?
Could a child take and hide the other’s toy pony?
It was an explorer’s fun in 3D. They were hero and villain.
No TV required.