I saw a a dark, spotted
orb-weaver spider
suspended in the center
of its flat, woven net,
presiding over its life.
I leaned in and spoke
softly to it. The spider slowly
raised its two foremost
legs--a casual double-wave.
Like moonlight glowing
on an old eucalyptus tree,
like an unsheltered man
sleeping on a city grate,
the spider and its awareness
cannot affect the future.
They're almost nothing,
just like me. And yet the
spider and the man and
the glowing tree, and just one
night's moonlight should
count as crucial. They exist
& their gestures suggest we
should care.
suspended in the center
of its flat, woven net,
presiding over its life.
I leaned in and spoke
softly to it. The spider slowly
raised its two foremost
legs--a casual double-wave.
Like moonlight glowing
on an old eucalyptus tree,
like an unsheltered man
sleeping on a city grate,
the spider and its awareness
cannot affect the future.
They're almost nothing,
just like me. And yet the
spider and the man and
the glowing tree, and just one
night's moonlight should
count as crucial. They exist
& their gestures suggest we
should care.
hans ostrom 2023
Photo: spotted orb-weaver spider.
