Mercy
Once, we were grilling zucchini
from the garden. It was summertime
and I was about to leave you.
A praying mantis landed on the grill.
He was bright and beautiful
even as he fizzled and I burned
all my fingertips trying to save him.
You can’t tell when an insect is in pain
but he must have been and you put him
in the grass so softly
where I found and stomped him.
And I think it surprised us
what we each defined as mercy.
Notes
Sullivan captures that sudden, painful realization of how two people in love can hold entirely different definitions of compassion when faced with suffering. It grounds July’s exploration of lightness in a quiet, haunting moment, showing how even our most desperate attempts to be kind, whether burning our fingers to save a life or stepping in to end its pain can reveal the unbridgeable distance between us. By turning a simple summer afternoon on its head, the poem reminds us that true mercy isn't always gentle, and breaking free often begins when we finally see each other clearly. #poetry #difference #mercy #summer #mantis