i come from those who swallow their roles whole

we were sitting at the edge of the lake at a plastic picnic table, watching a father and his kids coming in from a fishing trip. they threw their catches back in and we watched as the fish swam back out to deeper waters, the family dog chasing them until called. beautiful blue sky and crisp breeze.

i finished my smoke and went to butt it out in one of the grooves between the slats of the table top. i noticed a large see-thru wing poking out so i grabbed it gently with two fingers and pulled. it was a dead dragonfly. it was huge and that gorgeous bright blue; striped and shimmering. i placed it on the table and looked at it, pointed out its beauty to my gramma. the eyes seemed so big, the segments distinct and the colour! i picked it up again and moved it into the light for her. i was thinking it would be nice to photograph, maybe get some macro shots, told her that too and then mentioned i didn't think i had anything to put it in to save it on the drive home.

as i held it in my palm she slapped at my hand, knocking it back onto the table. before i could stop her (this 86 yr old woman i pushed around in a wheelchair,) she roughly picked it up, took two or three steps to the water's edge, and flung it out into the lake.