Lessons from a Dragonfly

You must be born of the breeze
unpredictable in stillness and motion alike
able to flit as easily as float
you must never shy away from color
openly embrace shimmer
love the water as dearly as the air
be caught, always caught
between two worlds
do not return to the place of your birth
you can not breathe there anymore
just keep moving
taking short but frequent breaks
until some cool November day
you leave your body behind
on a painted maple leaf
slipping through the surface
to the verdant shores of an infinite lake
utterly unafraid and well acquainted with change