Strange Crud - Kathy Figueroa

A lump of crud on the wall
One morning, I did see,
So I paused to have a better look
To ponder what it could be.

How, when, or from whence it came?
Such questions left me perplexed -
And its incongruous placement
Left me feeling vexed.

Was it something a sneaky, agile
Incontinent mouse had left behind?
Or a type of fungal growth
Which, on the ground, you often find?

I called my knowledgeable partner
To have a look at the strange goo
And… slowly… leaned… in… closer…
For a better view -

As he prepared to remove
This odd addition to the décor,
By deftly, with his finger,
Flicking it to the floor.

From time immemorial,
Humans have existed with critters
And survival instincts dictate
Some will give us the jitters.

Others will make us tremble,
Or even faint from fear.
There are those so abominable
That your sensibilities they sear.

Herewith, I share with others
The hard won wisdom I’ve accrued
Through this experience, which
Was weird and kind of rude:

If you encounter strange crud
It’s best to avoid it and go on your way
…Lest it’s a humongous, springing spider
Slyly curled up waiting for unsuspecting prey….

Kathy Figueroa

Spider Season - Joan Etoile

It's the season of the spider
The crawling has begun
Navigating dewdrops, they
Journey from the Sun

They scuttle through the kitchen
Towards the Aga's warm embrace
Where Stroobs the cat is lounging
Contentment on his face

The spiders think they're safe there
And start to spin their web
But their time is borrowed
In the tabby's lair they're dead

Before they've time to scarper
He flicks them on their back
Eight legs cannot save them, as
They're eaten with an 'ack ack ack'

Joan Etoile