Local Gems Press
  • Home
    • James P. Wagner (Ishwa)
    • Storm of the Bards >
      • Storm of the Bards Preorders
  • Poet's Academy
    • Writing in an eBook World
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Course
    • Putting Together A Poetry Book
    • Publishing Your Poetry Free Seminar
    • Submitting Your Book To A Publisher
    • Self-Publishing Your Book
    • Publishing VS Self-Publishing Virtual Seminar
    • Publishing Bundles Order Page
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Virtually
    • Japanese Poetry History and Forms
    • Planning a Poetry Book Tour
    • Four Seminar Bundle
    • Poetry Book Master Course
    • Hosting a Poetry Reading
    • Sonnet, The Greatest Form
    • Getting Your Book In Stores
    • Publishing Your Poetry Course
    • Doubling Your Acceptance Ratio
  • Publishing Coaching
    • Seminar Recording Library
    • Holiday Course Sale
    • Question Page
    • Unlocking Your Poetic Potential >
      • Unlocking Your Poetic Potential Course
  • Bulk Orders
    • The Alchemy of Verse
  • NaPoWriMo Contest
  • Blog
    • Ishwa's Poetry Blog
    • Nick Hale's Poetry Blog
  • NoVA Bards 2024
  • Free Poetry Prompts
  • Buzzin Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Empire Poetry Verse
    • Empire Poetry Verse Preorders
  • Florida Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Phoenix Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • Poetic Memoir Chapbook Challenge
  • 49 Haiku Challenge 2024
  • Poetry Forms Chapbook Challenge
  • Autumn Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • FREE Poetry Prompts
  • Ohio Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Harmonic Verse Anthology
  • Poets of the Promise Anthology
  • Ghosts in The Verse Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • Poet's Almanac Launch Bundle
  • 30 Day Poetry Prompt Journal 2024
  • 30 Day Poetry Prompt Journal 2025
  • Minute Musings
    • Minute Musings Preorders
  • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook
    • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook Live Order Page
    • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook Order Page
  • Texas Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Texas Bards Preorders
  • Bards West Poetry Anthology
    • Bards West Preorders
  • Eastern Sea Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Eastern Sea Bards Preorders
  • Ghosts Echoes and Shadows Anthology
    • Ghosts Echoes & Shadows Preorders
  • Bayou, Blues & Red Clay Poetry Anthology
    • Bayou Blues & Red Clay Preorders
  • Misty Coast Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Misty Coast Bards Preorders
  • San Francisco Bards Poetry Anthology
    • San Francisco Bards Preorders
  • Bards Advent Calendar
  • Bards Across The Pond
    • Bards Across The Pond Preorders
    • Bards Across The Pond eProof
  • Dawn Horizons Anthology
    • Dawn Horizons Preorders
  • Tennessee Bards Poetry Anthology
  • 7 Day Poetry Writing Challenge
  • Local Gems Classifieds
  • Georgia Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Georgia Bards Preorders
  • Smashing The Writer's Block The Hammer
  • The Eagle And The Maple
  • Bards Poetica Anthology

A Harmless Spider

7/8/2013

4 Comments

 
One day I approached a mom and pop antique store
walking up the beautiful porch 
I noticed a large round spider web
intricate, complex, a work of art.
The owner of the shop came outside
both carrying some items for display 
and to greet me.
Noticing where my gaze was fixed she dropped her item
pulled back in fear and made a loud squeal
“Ewww!! Spider web! Look at that spider!” she pointed
at the nice sized little creature climbing up its habitat
towards a pair of mosquitos it had managed to catch.
“Get rid of it, get rid of it!” she screamed in as high pitched a voice
 as I can ever recall hearing.  
As she searched for some large object to use to attack
I grabbed a long string of the spider web, and disconnected it from the ceiling
which only made the woman scream more, calling me
crazy for wanting to touch it
I moved it to the side of the building,
without incident
towards a bush and set it down there,
far away from the entrance and the panicking woman
who had run back into the store.
After entering the shop and making a minor purchase
once she was fully collected again
“Thank you for killing that spider,” she said with a smile.
“I didn't kill it,” I pointed out “just moved it away from the front door.”
“Aw, you shoulda killed it!” she said a little less happy.
 I tilted my head and asked the question, “why?”
despite knowing I've heard this response before.
“Because it's a disgusting spider! Ew, they should all just die.”
I shrug, not wanting to press the argument further
knowing from experience that this will probably just make her angry
but as I leave I wonder,
I wonder if this woman realized that this little
harmless spider might have saved her
from two mosquitos carrying diseases
I wonder if she had given any thought to what might happen to the delicate balance
of the ecosystem
without spiders or other creatures
and then I thought and wondered why she had such
trouble tolerating this harmless little spider
who had been minding his own business
and why she seemed unable to handle its mere existence.
And then I realized that humans have a very long history
and a very bad track record in this department
whether it be the other hominids we wiped out for
us to gain supremacy of this planet
the Native Americans that settlers from Europe
couldn't share the continent with
all those people deemed “Just this or that” and easily disposable 
during the early 1940's.
The intolerance shown during segregation
or the fact the majority of the 50 states in the land of the free seem to be
as unable to handle the idea of same sex marriage as
that woman was able to handle that harmless spider sharing the world with her.
The spider that could not logically do any harm to her or her person
her shop or her way of life
and I wonder what it is about humans
so uniquely on this world
that makes us feel the need to wipe out
whatever it is that makes us uncomfortable.
Is this our primary function? Biologically?
For our fears to throw things out of balance?
Or are we just so uncomfortable with ourselves
so insecure in our own skins
so scared of the world around us
that maybe we secretly feel
deep down
that WE are the ones 
who do not belong. 

Picture
4 Comments
Leonora Gregory-Collura link
7/8/2013 04:17:54 am

Wow! What a beautiful poem entwined with spirit, life, history, interaction, thoughtfulness, fear & misunderstanding of oneself (as in the woman), nature, ecosystem, and the answers to all questions created out of fear and pillaging. Big TY for sharing such wonderful fabric of colorful threads patterned into words and ultimately interactive communications

Reply
john a brennan
7/8/2013 04:18:40 am

Excellent write.

Reply
Ruth-Ann link
7/8/2013 04:32:44 am

Profound and so respectful of life. We as a species need to celebrate life in all of it's expressions!
To honour the earth and protect it. Beautiful poem :)

Reply
John Schindler
7/8/2013 06:13:40 am

Awesome! I need to share this with a friend, who will love it as much as I do.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Ishwa (James P. Wagner's) Poetry Express

    About Ishwa

    James P. Wagner (Ishwa) is the founder and publisher for Local Gems Poetry Press. He is a poet from Long Island and sits on 3 local poetry non-profit boards. He has edited several anthologies and believes in poetry's power to make a difference. 

    Archives

    November 2023
    September 2016
    April 2015
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Poem
    Poetry

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    James P. Wagner (Ishwa's) Latest poetry collection. 

Copyright 2010-2016 by Local Gems Poetry Press