December 29, 2008–January 4, 2009: David Romanda and Paul Hellweg

For a Suicidal Spider

The same spider keeps showing up
in my kitchen sink,
I gently lift him out
and place him on the counter
with stern warnings
not to go back,
explaining that
I might overlook him
and accidentally wash him away;
I’d put him outside
but there’s a blizzard howling
with wind chill of minus eleven,
and I don’t have the heart
to put him out in that,
and they say it’s good luck
to talk to spiders
so I keep asking this one
to help me find the way with C but you know,
just between you and me,
I don’t think he’s paying much attention,
and there he goes
back to the kitchen sink,
.again
Epilogue

Two days later
I found his body
limp, waterlogged,
down near the drain,
and C called to say
she wasn’t coming up
anytime soon.