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.

[Eagle Cruagh]

Hugging cockroaches ? Kinda nuts, but to each his
own. Every body will tell you all this stuff about the
great writer you are. Me tooo ! If you can hug bugs
and write about it --- and I did read the whole thing,
then you sure got something going that people will
go out of their way for. Now that you got started
I want to see you write about hugging a cow.
That will be spectacular, especially the part where
she comes in the door and wants to be friends.
Nice little piece you wrote here Pilgrim. I`ll probably
just have to read your stuff again.
------ Eagle Cruagh

[Jaweena...Eileen Quinta..]

nizhoni! I love it.
Honor for all kinds of creatures "Aho!" What a extraordinary experience! Think something new, try something new, experience something new. Humility, Curiosity and Gratitude for life around us helps to be teachable. What an inspiration you are!

[Waka Crusnik]

Wow... I am in awe that you were able to make a bug that people usually find disgusting, very interesting and even mesmerizing. I applaud you!

[Robin]

smiling at the graphic ...

you speak Cockroach , how cool