Dive, diving at ditch edge

through featherfoil and dropwort

 

eight-legged swimmer,

quicksilver glimmer

 

of air-pocket hairs,

mercury wet.

 

Silk-spun underwater

hollow stem to hollow stem

 

air-bubble breath

of oxygen web.

 

Carbon, nitrogen.

Gaseous exchange.

 

Bell-jar for prey:

night-hunted shrimp,

 

phantom midge,

water-mites, stickleback.

 

Dive, diving spider

courtship swims,

 

tunnels the gill-web

of a silver mate,

 

makes water-pocket eggs,

spiderlings.

 

Nitrogen-less.

 

Collapsing web.

 

Breathless

quick, quick, surfacing

 

glimmer-swimming

eight-legging quick

 

up to ditch edge, featherfoil,

dropwort, oxygen.

 

 

 

 

Water Spider

 

Kim Lasky