A Spider Poem

by Juanita Rey

I cannot bring myself to write a love poem.

at least not the mushy romantic stuff

my friends write and read aloud

when we gather for wine and dip

and literature.

Image credit: Hiroyuki Sen on Unsplash

Nothing is pure enough for me.

The marble fountain

is scuffed with dirt.

The water from my tap

clouds up on release.

I don’t respond to another’s eyes

the way they do.

I can’t just hear what I want to hear

but what a guy actually says.

I don’t even write “like” poems.

Mine are of the “be wary” variety.

Or the “don’t make a fool of yourself again.”

My friends look up

and see a starry sky.

I keep watch on a spider

crawling across the ceiling.

***

Juanita Rey

Juanita Rey is a poet born in the Dominican Republic who now lives in the USA. My work has appeared in Spider Mirror, 99 Pine Street and 2 River View, among many others.