Wow dragonflies! I had the good fortune many years ago, to work with Rob Cannings, one of the foremost authorities in Canada regarding dragonflies and his enthusiasm was infectious. I've been drawn to them ever since and on occasion wax poetic.

Trapped upon a deceptive pane of glass,
No longer do you swoop and soar.
Too soon, within my hand
Two luminescent emerald orbs
Slowly dim.
The soft green glow recedes
Until your essence ceases
And eyes are dull.
Where does your radiance travel?
To heavenly realms?

Fortunately, eventually I found that by putting them in a container in the freezer, for a short time, that I could examine them more closely and then release them, seemingly unharmed, when they warmed up.

They were a big part of my children's life when they were small, when I dragged them, sometimes not so willingly on their part, through a lot of swamps. Consequently, over the years, they have presented me with a collection of "dragonflies" as gifts.

Some are of stained glass and hang on fishing line from a skylight and some are paper maché or metal, stuck in plant pots. Last year, for my birthday, my youngest daughter gave me a string of clear dragonfly lights that glow at night over our deck. I guess they are sort of a totem for me too Ebbie.