While walking in the garden,
I saw a praying mantis.
It looked pious, innocent—
how could an insect that is always
praying be cruel?
Then I saw it open its arms,
catch a fly, and relish it.
Its hands, when spread, were full of spikes;
the prey never stood a chance.
I asked the mantis how it could be so cruel.
It replied:
“I catch small insects to satisfy my hunger.
But you humans kill for joy
and call it hunting.”
I realized the mantis spoke the truth:
we hunt for skin and heads,
to adorn our floors and walls.
We are worse than animals
when it comes to killing.
