You taught me about stoneflies,

the swarming precision

of propagation,

their careful adherence

to principles of evolution.

 

You showed me nymphs

emerging from adobe huts

on stones underwater,

midges waiting for wings,

pods of eggs nestled under algae,

a biology lecture with props.

 

You pointed out the riffles

where the fattest fish feast,

and we studied which insects

tempted them most, strategized

the angles we should cast.

 

But it was you, so alive,

so drunk on wonder,

leaping from rock to rock,

splashing in enthusiasm

that taught me everything

I really needed to know.