GOING BUGGY!: Original Insect Poems

Here is my second themed post for National Poetry Month. This time I’m highlighting many of my original poems about insects. Tricia’s Monday Poetry Stretch at The Miss Rumphius Effect this week is Going Buggy!

Here’s a link to my first themed poetry post—A Passel of Space Poems.

Note: You may also want to check out MINNOW MUSIC: An Original Mask Poem. The post includes two more animal mask poem—as well as links to several others.

MASK POEMS

Inchworm

I’m a little inchworm

Making my way
Along this forsythia
Branch today.

I arch…then stretch

And forward ho!
That’s how I get to
Where I go.

My mode of travel’s

Odd, I’d say.
I’m such a slowpoke.
That’s okay.

When I get bigger,

By and by,
Why, I’ll grow wings
And then I’ll fly!

Honeybee

I’m buzzing here; I’m buzzing there.

I’m visiting the flowers where
I sip the syrup, thick and sweet,
And powder my six little feet.

I’m fuzzy here; I’m fuzzy there.

I like the fuzzy suit I wear.
It’s yellow, black, and trimmed to fit.
It has flight wings attached to it!

A stinger’s fixed on my rear end—

A weapon so I can defend
Against intruders who would take
The sunny honey that I make

And seal inside a waxy comb

And store for winter in my home.
I’m busy…busy every day
In spring and summer. I don’t play…

Just do the duties that I must:

Collecting nectar, pollen dust,
And guarding my sweet food and hive.
But, still, it’s great to be alive!

Worker Bees

We’re sweet syrup sippers.
We’re nectar collectors.
We’re reapers of pollen
And beehive protectors.
We tend to the babies.
We keep our home clean.
We make royal jelly
For drones and our queen.
In summer we fan our hot hive
With our wings…
Make honey and wax.
We do SO many things.
We’re buzzing and busy
With chores through the day.
A worker bee’s life
Is ALL WORK and NO play.

Monarch Caterpillar

I’m a monarch caterpillar

Nibbling away
On a tasty milkweed leaf today.

I’m munchin’

Crunchin’
Crunchin’
Munchin’
Enjoying this luscious leafy luncheon.

I’m growing bigger bite by bite.

My skin is feeling really tight.
I bet I’ll split my stripes tonight!

Crickets

When quiet fills an August night

And fireflies dot the dark with light
And birds are nestled in the trees
And leaves are whispering in the breeze
And moonlight shimmers in the sky,
We strum a summer lullaby…
A dreamy sleepy cheepy songT
o serenade you all night long.

Silkworm Pupa

This silken nest

Is where I’ll rest
And sleep and change
And rearrange
Myself into another me.

In this small space,

This creamy case,
Six legs I’ll grow,
Four wings—and oh…
Can’t wait to see the me I’ll be.

Dragonfly

Long, long ago

before dinosaurs
roamed the land
I flew through prehistoric skies,
my glassy wings glistening in sunlight.

Long, long ago

I printed my image
in mud,
then melted into Earth’s memory.

Now

you can see me
stenciled on the stony pages
of time.

ACROSTICS

Chirping in the dark, their song

Resonates

In still air. A

Chorus of summer night strummers in concert with

Katydids

Entertaining warm evenings with

Their

Symphony of wings.

Case spun

Of creamy silken threads,

Cozy cottage for

One, changing room

Of a sleeping pupa who will awaken to a

New self.

CINQUAIN

Cocoon

Creamy silken
Sack—sleeping bag for one
Young dreamer whose wish for wings will
Come true

HAIKU

Swaddled in white silk

Spinning dreams of a future
that will end too soon