Water Striders
Water striders skate and skim
across brooks and lakes
ponds and streams
pools and bogs
four filament thin jointed legs
propel their hovering bodies
in mesmerizing moves
so two short food-capturing arms
can do their work
Water surface choreography
all dance in quest of prey
their locomotion secret
grooved water-shedding micro-hairs
hydrophobic thousands
thousands
on such small skaters
Water striders are far too fast to catch
they shoot here
scoot there
their scores
too numerous to record
just give it a try
scoot
skootch
zip
quick
trip