Spider Salvation

I was startled this afternoon to see a spider in the sink basin while washing my hands at work. I never see spiders or bugs here. I moved to a different sink to finish washing my hands (so I wouldn't accidentally flush him down the drain). The poor little guy was struggling against the porcelain, unable to get a foothold. So I grabbed a paper towel and extended it into the sink to provide a textured surface for him to catch onto. He easily walked onto the paper towel. Then I deposited him high on the wall.

I think I've been reading too many kids' books with animal protagonists.

Silly Dog Walking Verse

The Splendid Slug

There is something splendid
About a slug
All spotted and slimy
Sitting on my sidewalk
Soaking up the sun
A string of slick
Staining the cement
From whence he slid

Collins Makes Me Sigh

In my morning poetry reading, Billy Collins' "Ignorance" stopped me. Here's the first verse:

It's only a cold, cloud-hooded weekday
in the middle of winter,
but I am sitting up in my body
like a man riding an elephant
draped with a carpet of red and gold,
his turban askew,
singing a song about the return of the cranes.

Beautiful!

Shower Verse

My life is full of pockets of time in which I can let my mind wander. While I shower, while I walk the dog, while I drive (although I sometimes miss exits as a result). Here is this morning's shower verse:

Regret

Mine takes the shape
of a thousand plastic soldiers
each a moment wasted
in a life full of moments

I hang my head
whimper like a dog
that’s lost her scent

My ears touch concrete