Random Act of Metaphor: Demoiselles in Miniature Scale at Your Feet

Hmmm, can I convince you – the next time you stroll along a murmuring stream – to pause and take notice of the unnoticeable?

They are tiny little sprites 1″ to 1.3″ in size which go unnoticed by most people. If you are walking along the shore of a stream, marsh, lake or pretty much any body of water, they are flitting around at foot level while you are oblivious to their presence. Sad to say, you’ve probably stepped on a few of them without being aware of it.

They are Bluets the smallest of the delicate damselfly family. Incidentally, the term damselfly is derived, according to my Field Guide, from the French word demoiselle which means young mistress. This presumably refers to their slender, graceful appearance. But feel free to let your mind wander to its own conclusion.

I have conditioned myself to watch out for these diminutive creatures on my nature hikes. However, distinguishing one species from another is often next to impossible. Frequently, my brain simply responds blue bluet and my eyes start searching for something larger.

But once in a blue moon (pardon the pun), I am fortunate enough to spot a Rainbow Bluet like the one pictured at the top of this post. (My apology for the blurry photo. My point and shoot digital camera is not high tech enough to properly capture these sprites.)

I am always delighted by the subtle combination of blue, yellow-green, orange and black which is somehow squeezed into this inch long nymph. Each one is a random act of metaphor for the sometimes miniscule elegance that nature is capable of achieving if we are willing to slow down, retune our senses and notice the unnoticeable.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of Until the Deep Water Stills: An Internet-enhanced Novel double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

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