Spiders

Theme
Honorable Mention

Elizabeth Keggi

Spiders hide themselves
in silent spots deep
within the closet,
beneath the bed,
between the window
and the screen.

Spiders know
when you are asleep:
They are drawn
from their nests
by the sweet sound of a
little boy’s gentle breath.

They’re in the light
fixture above your head.
They guard the bathroom,
waiting for that midnight
visit made on your soft
bare feet in the dark.

Good little boys have
rooms free of spiders
and midnight venom.
Were you a good
little boy today?
I think not.

Judge’s Comments:  One of my favorite sayings is that “you are never more than three feet away from a spider.” This poem evokes that uneasy feeling.  This poem is interesting because it is not overtly funny; in fact, it is pretty creepy.  But that creepiness is undercut by knowing that most spiders are harmless. Thus, the speaker’s attempt to scare “good little boys” says more about the weakness of the speaker than the threat of a spider.  Nicely done.