Baby Praying Mantises
(A series of haikus)
By: Emily H
Age: 13
Atlant, Ga USA
(A series of haikus)
By: Emily H
Age: 13
Atlant, Ga USA
Note from Emily: "I have written a series of haikus* about baby praying mantises that we found emerging from an egg sac in our backyard. We got a few pictures of the babies. The picture of the big praying mantis was taken a while ago, on a different occasion."
*Haiku is a style of Japanese poetry comprising of only three lines. The poem has 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Typically, the subject matter in a haikus or haiku is nature.
*Haiku is a style of Japanese poetry comprising of only three lines. The poem has 17 syllables divided into three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Typically, the subject matter in a haikus or haiku is nature.
Small like ants they march.
Tiny legs and swaying dance
Praying mantis young.
Tiny legs and swaying dance
Praying mantis young.
Delicate and brown,
They will become big and strong.
With green pincers long.
They will become big and strong.
With green pincers long.
Swaying swaying sway,
Swaying swaying swaying strike!
Prey escapes, takes flight.
Now tiny, then a
Huge big scary silhouette,
Like an alien.
Huge big scary silhouette,
Like an alien.
Big pincers, claws sting,
Long misleading skinny legs,
Dangerous creatures.
Long misleading skinny legs,
Dangerous creatures.
They clamp down, then flee,
Running away fast from thee,
Do not scare, take heed.
Running away fast from thee,
Do not scare, take heed.
Bright green, like the spring
The time when the young emerge.
Around three hundred.
They may be scary,
But they rid gardens of pests,
Mosquitos and flies.
But they rid gardens of pests,
Mosquitos and flies.
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An adult praying mantis on top of a pick up truck.
Photo Credit: Emily H |
Baby praying mantis photographed a few minutes after hatching.
Photo Credit: Emily H |