Fact: Kansas is flatter than a pancake

The snakeskin sky meets the horizon
of stalks, on the precipice of a keyhole
tucked midway in the lone silo
the Jewel Beetle teeters, thief and guardian

Her body an emulsified rainbow
iridescent, tinny, permanent diadem
a beacon any feathered Corn King could see
the Jewel Beetle snatches her fluttering cloak

Giants like you and me
crush the living spectrum
into chitinous white powder, a treasure
the Jewel Beetle unpinions, unfurling

The time comes
A gust blows
The summoned dust-devil
carries specks that block out the
traitorous sun, her mandibles still
as she falls aloft unseen
the Jewel Beetle wonders of revolutions and of wings