That Thin Line Between Interfering And Playing God ...
I looked up when I saw your shadow ... Took my phone and took a few snaps ... But since you are still alive Carefully, I laid you on the table, Am I hurting you? What ifs ~... flooded my thoughts .. Would life now just be an agony The last web I swabbed off you was on your widely stretched mandibles As I carefully lay you on an aphid infested evening primrose ... and I wonder .. would you still be able to take a flight ? Okay ... I think you'll be fine ... all pics were taken with a Samsung Galaxy A3 2016 edition
and there you were ...
right above my head ..
Trapped . ..
not minding whether you were actually alive...
Just when I took a close up shot ...
you seem to have twitched your mandible ...
but your predator's silky sticky web kept it open wide
I poked you with my pinkie
and you've managed to move one of your tiny bristled filled legs
as if ... confirming you're alive
I stood there - thinking ... should I interfere ?
Would it be good for you?
Or should I let nature take its course?
my nature also took its course ...
...ran into the house in a reflex -
took one cotton bud out , wet it ..
and while your captor was busily sucking that honey bee dry
I snatched you off his web ...
Gently, I swabbed that wet cotton bud on your all crumpled wing
hoping to get the silky web strands off them
swab after swab, you've moved your mandibles and legs
So gentler, I ran just the wet tip of the cotton bud to clean your wings up...
then your tiny legs ...
... I noticed you already lost one ...
that got me to thinking ....
"Is what I'm doing right?
Should I have not interfered ~
... would have it been better?"
Perhaps it would have been a quicker death for you ~
... had I not meddled.
Had I actually made it more difficult for you now?
...by playing God letting you live ...
... with your torn wings and missing limb?
But ... what if ?
What if ..like us humans ...
you damselflies...
would challenge your imperfections
and just appreciate another chance to life ...
live and make the most of it...
What if?...
which I was so worried I might damaged ...
for you wouldn't be able to eat - it would just be slow death
With you all cleaned up, I searched for a plant ...
where I could have you safely nestled on to ...
away from spiders and birds ...
where the sun could warm your all torn wings dry
where aphids abound for you to munch on and regain your energy...
with you seemingly staring at me ...
and your wings against the sun ray ...
another thought hit me ...
I saved you from your predator ...
to be another predator ...
Ironic .. life sometimes ... just is ~
would you ever be able to use that now shut mandibles of yours
and you started your show .. slowly you picked one aphid off the plant
and chewed on ...
Dear tiny damselfly ... And you ? ...
What do you say would you do ?
... if you were in my shoes ?
...in that same place ?
...in that same time?
Would you also ...
play God?
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Great story to go with the pictures, it really makes it more interesting. I've interfered with a robberfly attacking a dragonfly, probably because I like dragonflies but think robberflies are somewhat nasty. Usually, I just let nature take its course though.
@mweich thanks .. my grandpa used to tell me that - let nature take its course
I find it, too hard sometimes - but just with critters
as for humans - better do that!
Whilst there is life there is hope ,is a principle for humans perhaps for creatures as well.
I would've saved him/her, too.
Lovely prose. Thank you for posting and for rescuing the ever elegant dragonfly.
@bluejay thank you - was thinking of using prose tag - but not sure
at least you think so, too
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