Spider!

I dwell in the darkest corners of your room

and in the untidy recesses of your mind;

a symbol of fear -- tiny token of doom;

a reclusive, I’m elusive and not easy to find.

 

I sit in silence in my woven silk web and

muse at your silly human complexities --

‘til the rising moon summons you to your bed,

I’ll delve into my simplistic arachnidan fantasies.

 

I’ve studied your habits and learned them well.

I know the precise moment that you’ll fall asleep

by the times I watched as your chest rose and fell,

so I bide my time until your breathing is deep.

 

The clock on the wall strikes eleven, and then

it’s the wond’rous moment I’ve been waiting for

when I can leave my home and begin to descend

the eight foot length ‘tween the ceiling and floor.

 

‘Tis a shame I’ve no one to appreciate my

timing and skill – I skitter this way and that

in front of the door which I must hurry by

to avoid being seen by your big ugly cat.

 

Up the bedpost and to the top of the canopy,

I pause for a moment and admire my prize;

 moments from now I will be where I long to be,

delighting at the tickle from the lash of your eye.

 

‘Tis a dangerous game I play here each night,

when you consider our vast difference in size;

my life would cease with one swat born of fright, as

I know the very sight of me you greatly despise.

 

I hunker down close to your soft, warm skin

and brace myself, anticipating the excitement

that will ensue when I bite you again and again;

awakened, you’ll scream as I scram to the vent.

 

I laugh to myself while you fumble about and

then leap in great terror right out of your bed;

you toss sheets aside and dare me to come out

with no idea I’m hanging just over your head!

 

 

Author's Note

I am terrified of spiders, but I like to write about what I fear. This poem inspired me to host the "Phobia" contest for which I will ask entrants to do the same.

Reviews

[Candle in the wind]

Oops it sent a chill down my spine!These horrible creatures seem to be lurking everywhere.Its such a macabre vision to think of the spider sniggering at our complexities! A very powerful poem indeed.It is very visually evocative and picks at our anxieties and follies as well.

[Nicholas Hallows]

I'm a big spider fan. I have a tarantula and find them fascinating. They really do have great timing and skill. This poem and this spider both have great personality. Well done. NH

[ecomancer]

Interesting approach. It kept my attention enough to read it all the way through. It was quite humorous in parts as well. Good show.

[V. K. Harris]

Wow , I see a little smile on his face, this is brilliantly written.

[Poeticpiers]

wonderfully funny . Personally I like spiders and can watch them for hours building webs which are masterpieces of engineering. But I can understand that some people fear them to the point of phobia.

[kurrupted]

what a piece! what a great piece!!...believe me it's a cool way to out-pour your phobia.the flow is excellent and the stazas bring the imagination to view.

[Captain Blackheart (The..]

Oh wow...this is so brilliant. What flow and rhyme, this is just great. I love the spider coming to play with your eye lashed.lol I must admit I dont mind spiders but I dont think I would be to happy with one on my face :)

[blue2u]

This was a great poem, very vivid reminded me of when I lived in Arizona; one of the first things I was warned about was the spiders. I really liked it coming from the spiders view point. Enjoyed!!

[Lori]

Yes, spiders give me the creeps, too. I really like your poem, and how you give voice to a creature most of us don't think twice about stomping. It's very clever, and I love how the spider is very vampire-like, and we humans seem stupid compared to this creature. Great job!

[*** Hey Jude***]

Ugggh, spiders are something I prefer under my foot rather than as my roommate :-). This was a wonderfully crafted read that had me squirming. Great narration ~ Jude xo