Tarantula Wasp

high noon
the black wasp fanning
orange wings

During my time living in Arizona, I learned which neighbors to respect from a distance, and the tarantula wasp was certainly among them. Occasionally I would see these large, menacing wasps resting on the ground or on a cactus, twitching their wings as if to warn me not to come any closer. Considered to have the second most painful sting of any insect, surpassed only by the bullet ant, I was more than eager to give them a wide berth.

I’m glad to have this shasei-style haiku published in O2 Haiku Literary Magazine. Considering this publication’s preference for nature-centric poetry, I look forward to submitting again in the future.

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