“Mama used to tell us a story about a cicada sitting high in a tree. It chirps and drinks in dew, oblivious to the praying mantis behind it. The mantis arches up its front leg to stab the cicada, but it doesn't know an oriole perches behind it. The bird stretches out its neck to snap up the mantis for a midday meal, but its unaware of the boy who's come into the garden with a net. Three creatures—the cicada, the mantis and the oriole—all coveted gains without being aware of the greater and inescapable danger that was coming.”

“Think about Praying Mantis. The deadliest ninja predator. Why isn't his animus a lion or a polar bear - two of the most successful killing machines in the animal kingdom? The answer is that these animals would not be right for him. Think how a praying mantis is invisible on a leaf, how they are carnivores who will devour their own species. The female will even eat her own partner once they've mated and, as hatchlings, their first meal is often one of their own siblings. These are the things that matter to Praying Mantis - and if you study his attributes, they are elements that will help you defeat him.”

“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.”

“At the moment, he kinda knew how the male praying mantis felt when hewas approaching Ms. Mantis, knowing the sex was going to be great but he was going to gethis head bitten off.Ah, well. Some things were worth losing your head.”

“The classics tell us that, in relationships, the one between teacher and student comes second only to the one between parent and child.”

“All these types of love come out of duty, respect, and gratitude. Most of them, as the women in my county know, are sources of sadness, rupture, and brutality.”

“Stories tell us how we should live.”