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.

[Wolfwind Words]

Ok, that creeped me out! To many years hoping that spider wasn't in my room as a kid!
You did a very good job in filling this with anxiety and imagery that made me shiver!
Great Job!

[bluessadmood]

its lovely the way you make a nice story about everything ,its so creative ,i envy you,but i thought you are referring to she spider when she mates with he spider ,after one love affair she kills him,,all the same its very creative and very beautifully written

[Beautifully Tragic xPoe..]

I don't know what it is about Spiders, i have a love hate relationship about them. i think their cool creatures but i think the thing that scares me is some spiders are posionous and not knowing which ones is the frightening part. especially in my state the infamous brown recluse - will disinagrate your skin with one venomous bite.

Great write, my dear.
Rayne

[Damian Alan Gray]

Eeesh!!! I don't care for spiders, but I've never lived in fear of them ... until NOW! Thanks a lot! That's just what my ever-so-fragile psyche needed; one more irrational fear to send me to the inevitable rubber room!
Good poem, Tania, but cripes! I feel like things are crawling all over me! Wait ... what's that?! AGH!

[BlakeL79]

I am going to enter your contest, however I wish to do so in an unhurried manner. I am inspired to do so after reading this poem. Fantastic rhyme, use of language, and playful hauntingness. Excellent craftsmenship!

[Phil Sanders]

Superbly written ... and quite amusing too .....

[Laughing Lunatic]

Lol ! I hate spiders my husband loves spiders so when I want to kill it wants to save it . I really thought this was a cute way to write about your fear from the spiders point of view.
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!
I was laughing so hard because your spider is a smarta** as well.
Great write!! =)

[Lillian]

OH MAN! I was cringing though this whole piece. (Well written by the way!) I have arachniphobia as well. I'm seeing a doctor for it. lol. good write! I'm going to try to conquor this fear and see if writing helps. haha.
again great write. love your work!

[Keith]

Funny how audacious this little bugger seems to be... great personification.

One is never enough to fear... but now if this was a little army erupting from a nest or that cactus your friends brought back from mexico.....