Oscar Williams

“The Praying Mantis Visits A PenthouseThe praying Mantis with its length of strawOut of nowhere's forehead born full armedEngaged the century at my terrace door.Focused at inches the dinosaur insect sendsBroadsides of epic stillness at my eye,Above the deafening projects of the age.My love, who fears the thunder of its poise,Has seen it and cries out. The clouds like curlsFall in my faith as I seize a stick to stopThis Martian raid distilled to a straw with legs,To wisps of prowess. Bristling with motionlessnessThe Mantis prays to the Stick twice armed with Man.I strike, the stick whistles, shearing off two legsWhich run off by themselves beneath some boards.The Mantis spreads out tints of batlike wing,The many colored pennants of its blood,And hugs my weapon; the frantic greens come out,the reds and yellows blurt out from the straw,All sinews doubtless screaming insect death.Against the railing's edge I knock the stickSending that gay mad body into the gulf.Such noisy trappings in defeat wake doubts.I search my mind for possible wounds and feelThe victim's body heavy on the victor's heart.”