Oh dragonfly, oh dragonfly
 In your infancy, you laboriously 
 climbed upon a slender stem.
 Ever
 so
 slowly
 seams split.
Soft and squishy, you spilled forth into this sunlit world.
Perched upon your former self, wispy strings recalled aquatic breaths. 
 Moments slipped
 into an hour. 
 Your body of velvet pulsed as blood pumped into cloudy wings.
 Standing guard watching you, I noted preparations for first flight. 
Eyes bulging
 you chose
 a spot
 of viewpoint vantage. 
Colors changing, 
 you gained 
 the markings
  of generations past.
 Wings drying 
 you offered
 a reflection 
 of stained glass. 
 Beyond understanding
 you flew 
 a dance
 of darting restlessness.
 
 Odonata, Odonata,
 You have known 
 both worlds. 
 First playing 
 beneath the surface.
 Then in a manner 
 so brave,
 climbing skyward
 to ride summer’s breeze
 on gossamer wings.
 Forever in awe 
 of your transformation
 from aquatic nymph 
 to winged adult, 
 I can only imagine
 the wonder of
  emergence.