Ed’s Top Ten Favorite March Madness Poetry 2013 Poems: #7

We are now just seven days away from the start of the March Madness Poetry 2014 tournament! Today I reveal #7 on my list of Top Ten Favorite Poems of #MMPoetry 2013 — a killer poem written by Buffy Silverman:

4-decent
Prayer of the Praying Mantis
By Buffy Silverman

I fold my arms. I kneel in prayer.
I’m hidden by my leafy lair.
I spy a tremor, tiny shake,
creeping closer, quiver quake.

I focus raptly on my prize,
ten thousand lenses in my eyes.
My costume hides me, in plain view;
my dinner nears my holy pew.

I raise my arms and pray my prey
will find my altar, come to stay.
With patience of a saintly priest–
a decent chap–I bless my feast.

She’s almost here, another stride,
will bring my banquet to my side.
And now at last, she’s reached my trap.
I sway my head, and then… I snap!

I’m still amazed that this was written in under 36 hours — #MMPoetry authletes don’t mess around!

Click here to see this poem as it originally appeared in #MMPoetry 2013.

Like it? Share it!

Like me? Subscribe to TKT!

Ryan Stockton

Wow.
Matt Forrest

Well done, Buffy!
Buffy Silverman

Thanks, Ed. I’m honored that you included my poem in your list of favorites.
http://motherstreusel.com/ Mother Streusel

Exceptional!
deborahhwilliams

Excellent! I pray my prey–perfect.
Renee LaTulippe

Superb. Definitely one of my favorites of the tournament. Perfection.
Jeanne Poland

Great character development
Dave Crawley

Gives personality to the mantis, and a good play on the “praying” aspect. Well done!
Damon Dean

Buffy was on the twig with that mantis…what clear insight and what perfect poetry.
Allan Wolf

Yup. That’s a keeper.
Carrie Finison

So good, Buffy! What I love about these poems is that the target word is used so perfectly, it blends right into the poem. It never feels like the word was shoved in or that the poem was engineered around the word. In many cases, I have to read the poem again to remind myself that the target word actually *was* used. True wordsmiths, all!
Liana Mahoney

This was my favorite from last year’s tourney, too. Well done, Buffy!
H. Young

Very good!
http://www.pgwrites.com Patti Bumpus Richards

Love it Buffy!
BJ Lee

Glad to see this one in the top ten, Buffy! Very nice indeed!