Communications

listening closely to the world

Last night I decided to stay up late, it is good for my imagination, breaks down the barrier between the inner and outer mind.

I left the door open and my light attracted insects.

 

A cricket started singing near my desk. I watched him, he stayed on the edge of the shadows. He sang a few lines then moved closer and sang another verse. Between each verse he moved about 6 inches closer to me and if I turned my head to look at him, the music stopped. We played this game for many hours of the night and he finally arrived about one foot away from my chair. I fondly remember the pet crickets I kept under my bed when I was a kid. Was he singing to me?  It surely seemed so. 

Later on, in the shadow across the room I saw movement, a large insect nearly two inches long. I was still remembering my childhood memories recalled after listening to the cricket's song.  I decided to do what I did so many times long ago. I got down on the floor and slowly approached the insect...I won't give the details of my technique, because I know there are a lot of insect killers around, it is what people are taught, and I don't want to be responsible for insect deaths.

When my hands were within a few inches of the creature, I found a large desert cockroach, a creature I find beautiful and intelligent. She was hiding in the shadows. I tapped and rubbed my fingers the way I remember doing in my childhood, as if they were antennae.
 
One slender antennae reached out to me, so thin it was almost invisible, gently tapping the floor near my finger. I was judged as harmless, or at least interesting, and she moved closer, halfway into the light, so that she could reach me with both antennae. Cockroach antennae are long, probably as long as their body, nearly two inches long. Her antennae gently explored my finger and then I felt contact, she looked me in the eyes and I felt a smile, a knowing. It was then that I forgot the ways of respect in this other world, it has been so long since I entered here, and I breathed out while facing the cockroach. Bad manners of mine, there are only rare times when it is appropriate to breathe on the other in the insect world...she hesitated, moving her antenna on my finger one last time and disappeared into the shadows, as if she had never been there.

I thought to myself that I'd better leave the door open so the critters can let themselves out when they are ready. I really didn't want to go around catching them and possibly causing them to be afraid of me in the future.

I am honored they chose to visit me last night.

Reviews

[Star Wolf]

A really enjoyable read. I can't see many people doing what you write about in your story, showing positive interest and respect for insects. Most, I think, would either crush them or try to capture them in a jar or net. I like to view a lot of insects while others just creep me out, like spiders.

[Richard Man]

How Zen, how Buddhist how beautiful. It's not the cockroach's fault that it should be so loathed ... it never decided that war was a good way to make money or to pollute the atmosphere ... I think it will certainly inherited the earth and play music all night long with the cricket. Howzat!

[Laughing-Bear]

My Dear Writing Friend Alleqaq Cakaar Eluciq,
A very fascinating read that put me as the reader their listing to the cricket singing and on the floor with you and looking into the desert cockroach eyes. While serving in the military I was in a desert place with many crickets, and yes I would even let them into my home, as I loved their chirping sound especially before it rained.
I always found bugs fascinating, but spiders were a different thing. They always gave we the willies and I would not stay in the same room with them. Odd to have such a phobia of spiders. I’ve had grizzlies try killing me, and that did not bother me near as much as a spider in my cabin. In fact when I get into a relationship I always check to see if they can deal with the spiders for me. If they cant I will not even try to build a relationship, as I need somebody to save my a*s from those eight-legged monsters that probably breath fire as they stock my poor soul. Today in fact I had to get Heidi to come save me from this most horrid creature, she put it outside carefully as not to harm it, hell if she had not come and saved me I probably would of hurt my self running through the wall.
If one takes their time and moves slowly an amazing world including even the insect’s world will unfold before their eyes. And with many a lesson can be gleamed. Communications was a perfect name for this amazing write. And you communicated to us a level of understanding on such a wonderful topic with such a visual word picture I am now longing to hear the chirping of my yester year.

Blessings, Laughing-Bear

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

Wow that is a really amazing story, most of us see insects as pests(literally), I admit I am guilty of it, but wow reading your story does give me a different aspect. You are a true gentle soul.

[An owl on the moon]

I loved this journey through your thoughts and the window to deep inside you... the wondrous interaction of self and nature... Yes, it's a beautiful world that too many times we simply trample... You let us see the joy of shared moments...

[Nimbus Thread]

This has such a wonderful voice. At times I think these visitors are just as intimidated by us as we can be of them yet they allow us to wander into those special moments of stillness.

[Pendantry]

Beauty is in the eyes that see; harmony is in the words you write and the thoughts you share. Thank you for sharing.

[Ruth]

I so love this! We so seldom get the reach out to communicate with such things! That is a special moment indeed! DD, I really love your moments such as this...makes me find comfort and peace that people care about such! xx

[mark slade]

very good. reminds me of kafka.

[poetry-kiddo alienbaba]

HEY D.D....
WHAT A VERY SPECIAL AND INTIMATE WRITE!
OF COURSE THEY WERE COMMUNICATING WITH YOU/...the CRICKET WAs in exclusive concert..just for you. and the cockroach...well she has survived the earths global catastrophes...millenia before mankind.,,,...that must have been her survival instinct when you breathed on her...lol
whatever is happening to ya.....
but whatever is....rest assured its all good!

[emmajoy]

Simply: this is exquisite writing because it's based on exquisite action and thought. You have a truly wonderful spirit