Insect Lady

 INSECT LADY by Meredith Heller © 2025
Madelyn Helling Library, Nevada City, CA

Today at the library, I met the insect lady.

It wasn’t that she was an insect exactly

but she was wearing this white silk blouse

covered completely with pictures of insects.

When you think about it,

even the silk

was spun from worms

which would’ve morphed into moths

had they not shucked their cocoons.

The shirt was a marvel,

buttoned up high

with tiny pearlescent moon buttons

offsetting her brown hair

coifed in 1940s finger waves

oval-framed glasses

perched on her buttercup nose,

archetypal librarian.

And then she did something unexpected and wonderful–

when the library didn’t have the book I wanted

she ordered it for me from that mega-monopoly

that sells everything we absolutely do not need.

As I turned to go

bubbling my thanks

I glimpsed black

tentacles tattooed

along her clavicles

and I remembered–

Beneath the persona,

no matter

which way a person’s mask

twists to catch the light,

under the surface

under the skin

is where

the true story

is written.