The dragonfly had landed…to make that happen.
There was a day, when I decided to dive into a pool of water fully dressed.
On this day, I splashed and swam, in a long black dress of slippery polyester
silky – satin, smooth and cool.
On The full length sleeves, sewed tight at the wrist,
were embroidered flowers in bright pink thread, outlined in blue.
Shiny add – ons caught the morning light making little beacons lift off my arms while I moved them in slow rhythmic strokes.
The intermittent flashing reminded me of blinking lights,
as if they were all part of some long black aircraft carrier’s colorful runway,
bobbing on the waves, fueled by only sunlight, far far out at sea.
I stopped to catch my breath, resting my arms on the surface, I let them float almost weightless in the water, fingers outstretched.
Then so surprised, I almost flinched to see,
a black dragonfly, dropping rapidly down to land,
on top the brightly pink embroidered flower, at my wrist.
I held my breath, and hoped I would be, but an unobtrusive, out of focus background, just a harmless mountain dripping and looming,
over a garden of pink flowers, diamond-like adornments
sparkling here and there.
Every colorful flower was soaked with moisture, waiting to be emptied, and the dragonfly had landed… to make that happen.
I watched while he took in the pool water, filtered through brightly ordered and embroidered hand-stitched petaled patterns . He drank and he drank, but before he flew away, I was already lost in the deepest thought:
The flowers were fake; they were not real and yet, the dragonfly was not disappointed.
He believed them real and on a hot summer’s day, this water was also needed. These flowers soaked in my swimming strokes, hydrated and sated him.
No it was not nectar, not pollen, not sweet, nor sour; it was only water,
cool, neutral refreshing water, but it was enough.
.
Water is life.
While I pondered this message, because I saw there was one, in this impetuous and fortuitous gift of his unexpected landing,
I realized, the dragonfly thought them real, these bright embroidered clusters, and they called to him, and he drank, and It was real enough.
I think about my Second Life…where pixels replace skin and we use only words written on lines, and yet, for those of us, who see it real, we really can quench our thirst, for friendship, achievement, collaboration, satisfaction, even love. It doesn’t take anything more than that.
See it real, and it really can touch you, affect you, even fill you.
As I was resting at poolside, my arms folded on the tiles, that dragonfly returned. He landed on the very same flower, on the very same wrist, the pink threads still wet from my swim, and he drank again. This time, I was not surprised at all.
Of course he came back! Why wouldn’t he?
Karima Hoisan
Jan.11th, 2016
Costa Rica
*Footnote: This is the sleeve of the dress and I thank my best Buddeh, Menubar Memorial, for turning that dragonfly, into a transparency, I could use . It was a re-enactment of the true event.:)
Digital Rabbit Hole 
Thank you for your ability to help us all, “…see it real”.
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Thank you my friend, for understanding it too:) Hugs!
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Why wouldn’t he, for sure! 🙂
Even your prose comes out poetic…
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Thanks Dale. This was really such a unique opportunity for reflection, that I had to write it down quickly. I’m happy you felt it poetic too:) I guess you can’t take the poet out of the narration….or something like that:)
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Unbelievable how that works. Something that can happen every single day turns into a poetic gem with philosophical depth. That’s really wonderful Karima!
Hugs
Nat
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You’re right Nat, I think we all miss so much, about what the world around us is trying to teach us. If we slow down (floating in a pool is great for that) we sometimes can catch it out of the corner of our eyes. I was lucky yesterday…:)vThanks for your comment. Hugs
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This writing and powerful metaphor leaves me astounded at your command of language and your unique approach to the world. And I know… That you know… How truly amazing. I think you are ruca!
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Ruco thank you so much for you comment.I do know:) and that really spurs me on:)
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I think Hoyt has it right. What you see and understand are the spaces that you understand are there between all the things and ideas the world sees-but doesn’t see… the punctuation and idea placeholders. You see the inside of paper looking at the edge. Where few see or understand is there or experience it. The thing of small. Easily overlooked as not grand enough-notable enough. overlooked by most of the world. This is the “tick tock” of life’s clock unwinding our lives. The events that are truly magickal. The world is in it’s incredible and frightening magnificence. Karima sees what we might have missed. The beauty in the common-the tiny-the endlessly overlooked. It is as though her work fills in the parts we miss and shouldn’t. This her genius and talent. She doesn’t miss what should not be missed in the humdrum of life. The dragonfly in ordinary. The magic overlooked!
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Oh Ronald..(Tube) you did it again. I think you might be the only person I know who would write: “You see the inside of paper looking at the edge.” I am honored and just a little pleased too, that my words, this simple story, could inspire you to bring your words to the table. You get me…and I also get you! So many things go by overlooked..and when we can actually see one, we should be so grateful, because these occurrences our rare and far and few between. As I said to Nat, I got lucky that day, and I stopped long enough for the magic to become visible. It’s only for an instance when this happens, but if we catch it, ponder it before the door slams shut, it will give us food for thought for a long time. Thank you so much for this comment. I cherish it!
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Oh what an honour and blessing to receive such an amazing ancient creature. Who gazed upon your sleeve and found comfort and solace in drinking water from there. God or the Divine has miraculous ways of sending greetings when we most need them, to let us know Water is all around us the Divine Love, Soul Love which created us is everywhere as we interconnect with nature on its highest level. Blessed you are.
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Thank you so much for this comment. I did feel very blessed at that moment. Such a gift! Thank you for your deep understanding too of the interconectedness of it All:)
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Your welcome and thank you for coming into my world. It is a gift.
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Thank you too!
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Hi again Karima, I reread the poem and all the responses to your wonderful poem. What occurred to me this time was your comment about how Second Life pixels can become real life. Real feelings-real connections to another. In the end that is what all this jumping about and shouting IS all about. Connections. The dragonfly got what it needed. Sustenance is what it needed. And that is what we can trade with each other in any world. In pixels, film, video, phone calls, still photos-etc. The magic is in the connection. You have the magic touch of breaching and connecting miles and years and worlds. This is your skill. What you bring to the table is ability to knit your friends thoughts and emotions together. This is Creation in it’s finest! That image of the thirsty dragonfly on the embroidered flower is very, very powerful. Nice!
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