Doty wrote that the dog gave him a great gift -- the opening of his heart, still smarting from the loss of a loved pet and a beloved partner. She made him realize he could open himself again.
Today, I saw a Banded Pennant lying flat on a stone beyond my reach in the water. I couldn't tell if it was dead or still alive, but it was surely grounded. I looked, and looked, and looked. I turned to leave, but turned back and saw it make a tiny movement with its front legs. Like Doty, I couldn't just leave without doing something.
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I stood on the shore and one loose stone in the water, leaned out, and offered the pointed end of my walking stick. Slowly, I was able to coax the dragonfly onto a grassy stem, but it was so wet that the leaf couldn't support the ode's weight. I refused to walk away.
I leaned out even further and slid the stick up the stem, bringing the ode with it. Finally, the pennant grasped my walking stick, and I brought it to land, gingerly, and from there to my thumb and then to a broad leaf. It climbed and started to clean its eyes. Its wings, though, soaked, still clung together.
I did what I could.
I left, thinking about Mark Doty and the human need to do what one can for the living thing there, right there, sharing the same space and oxygen. Tonight, I am thinking of the Mexican dog and the Banded Pennant.
2 comments:
i took a cute wirehaired short legged doggie I found wandering the lake road to animal control (he was a puppy and I know was rescued by the local rescue group...and u have to take to animal control before the rescue group can take them) but he was so sweet, once he stopped being afraid of me....drank a ton of water (i always carry a dog bowl & water in the car) and rode in my back seat , standing up, paws on the back of the drivers seat, looking at me in the mirror.....he had lovely eyes......I dared not spend too much time with him as I know what would have happened & my cats would have freaked....but i have wondered what became of him...I picture him running around with a couple of kids in a big yard
A lovely anecdote, Melinda.
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