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