Praying Mantis by Mary Ann Hoberman
That praying mantis over there
Is really not engaged in prayer.
That praying mantis that you see
Is really preying (with an e).
It preys upon the garter snake.
It preys upon the bumble bee.
It preys upon the cabbage worm,
The wasp, the fly, the moth, the flea.
(And even sometimes, if its need is great,
It even preys upon its mate.)
With prey and preying both so endless
It tends to end up rather friendless
And seldom is commended much
Except by gardeners and such.
Mary Ann Hoberman
from The Llama Who Had No Pajama
