An encounter with a praying mantis on a doorstep becomes a lesson in compassion and gratitude in Amanda Niamh Dawson’s “Prayer for a Mantis”. “I wholeheartedly believe in entities from other dimensions vibrating at higher frequencies interacting with us in unexpected ways,” Amanda told The Dewdrop. “‘Prayer for a Mantis’ is about an encounter with a praying mantis at my home. The symbolism of praying mantises exists in so many cultures, yet how many of us actually see them in the world?” she explained.
Prayer for a Mantis
It must have landed
On my threshold
Between errands
There was no mistaking
Its glowing green hue
Of course I noticed it
Bending down to carefully inspect
This lonesome spectacle
Its massive forearms
Like wilted cuffs of armor
Were clasped together, as though folded by a fairy
I brushed it with a pine needle
And it perceptibly sighed
Why not stay hidden in some jungle of brush under the Monterey pines,
Or in some sphere of euphorbia?
Where your kind reside
Watching us from afar
I was awestruck
This ceremony was for me to perform
My reverence of these insects runs deep
Symbols of stillness
Of meditation
Of mindfulness
The world stopped, for us
I needed to give this light being
A death not so ignoble as on this concrete step
I lay it down in a bed of carnation greens
Up high in a weathered stone pot
Surrounded by Baby’s Tears
With lacecap hydrangeas bobbing above, like frilly halos
This was the third praying mantis I had ever seen
And all within the last year
I paid my respects
Acknowledging this blessing
From a world far away
Amanda Niamh Dawson
Amanda Niamh Dawson wishes she was born in Ireland like her mother. She worked in art and publishing in New York, and lives now in northern California with her hip-hop recording artist/attorney husband. One of her poems received honorable mention in the 2023 Poetry Society of Michigan’s Peninsula Poets Contest. Her work has appeared in Lothlorien Poetry Journal, The Bloom, Rosette Maleficarum, The Fib Review, The Seraphic Review, and is currently in Pomona Valley Review.
It is a touching reflection on a seemingly ordinary encounter that carries deep symbolism. The poem beautifully highlights the interconnectedness of the natural world and the spiritual, emphasizing the importance of showing reverence and compassion to all living beings, no matter how small. Thank you for sharing this poetic moment of mindfulness and gratitude.
Awesome elegy
I love this poem! And I love Amanda’s work. Time stops whenever I’ve seen a Praying Mantis. Keep writing, Amanda.
I am transported into your sphere immediately. A spirit animal visitation. You poem so beautifully. This ceremony is definitely for you to preform.