DEDICATIONS
* * *
For Seth, our porch light
P. F.
for E. H. and Echo Hill Farm with its
wonderful fireflies
E. B.
CONTENTS
* * *
Dedication
Note
Grasshoppers
Water Striders
Mayflies
Fireflies
Book Lice
The Moth’s Serenade
Water Boatmen
The Digger Wasp
Cicadas
Honeybees
Whirligig Beetles
Requiem
House Crickets
Chrysalis Diary
Excerpt from I Am Phoenix
About the Author and Illustrator
Also by Paul Fleischman
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
NOTE
The following poems were written to be read aloud by two readers at once, one taking the left-hand part, the other taking the right-hand part. The poems should be read from top to bottom, the two parts meshing as in a musical duet. When both readers have lines at the same horizontal level, those lines are to be spoken simultaneously.
Grasshoppers
* * *
Sap’s rising
Ground’s warming
Grasshoppers are Grasshoppers are
hatching out hatching out
Autumn-laid eggs
splitting
Young stepping
into spring
Grasshoppers Grasshoppers
hopping hopping
high
Grassjumpers Grassjumpers
jumping jumping
far
Vaulting from
leaf to leaf
stem to stem leaf to leaf
plant to plant stem to stem
Grass-
leapers leapers
Grass-
bounders bounders
Grass-
springers springers
Grass-
soarers soarers
Leapfrogging Leapfrogging
longjumping longjumping
grasshoppers. grasshoppers.
Water Striders
* * *
Whenever we’re asked Whenever we’re asked
if we walk upon water if we walk upon water
we answer we answer
Of course.
To be sure.
It’s quite true.
Whenever we’re asked Whenever we’re asked
if we walk on it often if we walk on it often
we answer we answer
Quite often.
Each day.
All day through.
Should we be questioned Should we be questioned
on whether it’s easy on whether it’s easy
we answer we answer
Quite easy.
A snap.
It’s a cinch.
Should we be told Should we be told
that it’s surely a miracle that it’s surely a miracle
we reply we reply
Balderdash!
Rubbish!
Nonsense!
Whenever we’re asked Whenever we’re asked
for instructions for instructions
we always say we always say
Come to the pond’s edge
and do as we do.
Put down one foot
and then put down another,
resting upon the thin film
on the surface.
Believe me, there’s no call
at all to be nervous
as long as you’re reasonably
mindful that you—
But by that time our student But by that time our student
no matter how prudent
has usually has usually
don’t ask me why
sunk from view. sunk from view.
Mayflies
* * *
Your moment
Mayfly month
Your hour
Mayfly year
Your trifling day
Our life
We’re mayflies
We’re mayflies
just emerging
just emerging
rising from the river,
born this day in May
birthday
and dying day,
this particle of time
this single sip of living
all that we’re allowed.
We’re mayflies
We’re mayflies
by the millions
by the millions
fevered
frenzied
rushed
no redwood’s centuries
to squander as we please.
We’re mayflies
We’re mayflies
swarming, swerving,
swarming, swerving,
rising high
then falling,
courting on the wing,
then mating in midair.
We’re mayflies
We’re mayflies
laying eggs
laying eggs
our final, frantic act.
Sun’s low
light’s weak
in haste we launch them
down the stream.
We’re mayflies
We’re mayflies
lying dying
lying dying
floating by the millions
on the very stream
from which we sprung
so very long ago
this morning
back when we were
back when we were
young.
young.
Fireflies
* * *
Light Light
is the ink we use
Night Night
is our parchment
We’re
fireflies
fireflies flickering
flitting
flashing
fireflies
glimmering fireflies
gleaming
glowing
Insect calligraphers Insect calligraphers
practicing penmanship
copying sentences
Six-legged scribblers Six-legged scribblers
of vanishing messages,
fleeting graffiti
Fine artists in flight Fine artists in flight
adding dabs of light
bright brush strokes
Signing the June nights Signing the June nights
as if they were paintings as if they were paintings
We’re
flickering fireflies
fireflies flickering
fireflies. fireflies.
Book Lice
* * *
I was born in a
fine old edition of Schiller
While I started life
in a private eye thriller
We’re book lice We’re book lice
who dwell who dwell
in these dusty bookshelves. in these dusty bookshelves.
Later I lodged in
Scott’s works—volume 50
While I passed my youth
in an Agatha Christie
We’re book lice We’re book lice
attached attached
despite contrasting pasts. despite contrasting pasts.
One day, while in search of
a new place to eat
He fell down seven shelves,
where we happened to meet
We’re book lice We’re book lice
who chew who chew
on the bookbinding glue. on the bookbinding gl
ue.
We honeymooned in an
old guide book on Greece
I missed Conan Doyle,
he pined for his Keats
We’re book lice We’re book lice
fine mates fine mates
despite different tastes. despite different tastes.
So we set up our home
inside Roger’s Thesaurus
Not far from my mysteries,
close to his Horace
We’re book lice We’re book lice
adoring adoring
despite his loud snoring. despite his loud snoring.
And there we’ve resided,
and there we’ll remain,
He nearby his Shakespeare,
I near my Spillane
We’re book-loving We’re book-loving
book lice book lice
plain proof of the fact
which I’m certain I read
in a book some months back
that opposites that opposites
to attract. to attract.
The Moth’s Serenade
* * *
Porch Porch
light, light,
hear my plight! hear my plight!
I drink your light
like nectar like nectar
Dream of you
by day by day
Gaze in your eyes
all night all night
Porch light! Porch light!
Bright paradise!
I am I am
your seeking
circling seeking
sighing circling
lovesick sighing
knight
You are You are
my soul’s
my soul’s desire
desire my prize
my prize my eyes’
delight
Porch light! Porch light!
My shining star!
My compass needle’s North!
“Keep back,” they say “Keep back,” they say
I can’t!
“Don’t touch,” they say “Don’t touch,” they say
I must!
Porch light! Porch light!
Let’s clasp Let’s kiss
Let’s kiss Let’s clasp
Let’s marry for a trice! Let’s marry for a trice!
Porch light! Porch light!
Let’s meet Let’s merge
Let’s merge Let’s meet
Let’s live for love!
For light! For light!
Water Boatmen
* * *
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
We’re water boatmen
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
up early, rowing
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
We’re cockswain calling
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
and oarsmen straining
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
and six-man racing shell
rolled into one.
We’re water boatmen
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
worn-out from rowing
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
Bound for the bottom
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
of this deep millpond
“Stroke!” “Stroke!”
where we arrive
and shout the order
“Rest!” “Rest!”
The Digger Wasp
* * *
I will never
see my children,
they will never
gaze on me.
I’ll have died
when they’re emerging
next July.
So it must be. So it must be.
Yet, when they
behold the home
I’m digging now
for their protection,
safe and snug
far underground,
they’ll recognize they’ll recognize
my deep affection. my deep affection.
When they hatch
and find a caterpillar,
stung and paralyzed,
left by me
for them to eat
they’ll know as well they’ll know as well
that I was wise. that I was wise.
When they learn
I’d dragged it there
in spite of every
interference,
weeds and rocks
and thieving beetles,
they’ll discern they’ll discern
my perseverance. my perseverance.
While, cocooned,
they pass the winter
safe from snow
and ice and chill,
they’ll perceive
and thank me for
my formidable my formidable
digging skill. digging skill.
By the time they’re
ready, next July,
to climb up from their cells
and break the burrow’s seal
and fly away
my young will my young will
know me well. know me well.
When they care
for their own children,
never to be looked upon,
they’ll feel my love
in replica in replica
and know that they, in turn,
were cherished
whose face and form whose face and form
they never saw. they never saw.
Cicadas
* * *
Afternoon, mid-August
Two cicadas singing Two cicadas singing
Air kiln-hot, lead-heavy
Five cicadas humming Five cicadas humming
Thunderheads northwestward
Twelve cicadas buzzing Twelve cicadas buzzing
Up and down the street
the mighty choir’s the mighty choir’s
assembling assembling
Shrill cica-
das Ci-
droning cadas
droning
in the elms
Three years Three years
spent underground
among the roots
in darkness in darkness
Now they’re breaking ground
and climbing up
the tree trunks
splitting skins
and singing and singing
Jubilant
rejoicing cicadas
pouring out their
fervent praise fervent praise
for heat and light
their hymn their hymn
sung to the sun
Cicadas Cicadas
whining
whin-
ing ci-
cadas
whirring
whir-
ring ci-
cadas
pulsing
pulsing
chanting from the treetops chanting from the treetops
sending
forth their sending
booming forth their
boisterous booming
joyful noise! joyful noise!
Honeybees
* * *
Being a bee Being a bee
is a joy.
is a pain.
I’m a queen
I’m a worker
I’ll gladly explain. I’ll gladly explain.
Upon rising, I’m fed
by my royal attendants,
I’m up at dawn, guarding
the hive’s narrow entrance
I’m bathed
then I take out
the hive’s morning trash
then I’m groomed.
then I put in an hour
making wax,
without two minutes’ time
to sit still and relax.
The rest of my day
is quite simply set forth:
Then I might collect
nectar
from the field
three miles north
I lay eggs,
or perhaps I’m on
larva detail
by the hundred.
feeding the grubs
in their cells,
wishing that I were still
helpless and pale.
I’m loved and I’m lauded,
I’m outranked by none.
Then I pack combs with
pollen—not my idea of fun.
When I’ve done
enough laying
Then, weary, I strive
I retire
to patch up any cracks
in the hive.
for the rest of the day.
Then I build some new cells,
slaving away at
enlarging this Hell,
dreading the sight
of another sunrise,
wondering why we don’t
all unionize.
Truly, a bee’s is the Truly, a bee’s is the
worst best
of all lives. of all lives.
Whirligig Beetles
* * *
We’re whirligig beetles
we’re swimming in circles, We’re whirligig beetles
black backs by the hundred. we’re swimming in circles,
black backs by the hundred.
We’re spinning and swerving
We’re spinning and swerving as if we were on a
as if we were on a mad merry-go-round.
mad merry-go-round.
We never get dizzy
from whirling and weaving We never get dizzy
and wheeling and swirling. from whirling and weaving