Birthing From Silk

Wikipedia photo, Dolomedes Fimbriatus

I carry a silk purse
lined with my unborn.
Silver spun lace
delicately decorates
the portable womb
held tightly in my jaw.

Patiently I nurture
incubated eggs and
wait for tiny legs
to break the watered film
to announce a new generation.

When the noise of splitting shells
signals I no longer need
to carry my silk accessory,
I hang it on a green stem
leaving fate to determine
which children will find strength
to breach its seclusion.


©Susie Clevenger 2013

I wrote this yesterday for Kay's Sunday Mini-Challenge at Real Toads, but I just couldn't bring myself to include it with the two kitten poems I also wrote for the challenge. :)   Learn more about the Dolomedes Fimbriatus spider that inspired this poem here. 

Comments

Vandana Sharma said…
Such a motherly and beautiful depiction of a spider's love...amazing!!!
June 17, 2013 at 1:48 AM
LaTonya Baldwin said…
A tender observation. Particularly like the line about children making their way.
June 17, 2013 at 6:09 AM
J Cosmo Newbery said…
I'll never look at spiders quite the same again.
June 17, 2013 at 6:09 AM
kaykuala said…
Clever slant to combine the strength of the silky web to the bond of motherly instinct. Great write Susie!

Hank
June 17, 2013 at 6:42 AM
Sayantini said…
Tender and affectionate like only a mother can be. Loved your poem and a mother's eager wait to see her baby. Well done :)

-Sayantini Bhattacharya
another part of me
June 17, 2013 at 7:35 AM
Sreeja said…
beautifully written!
June 17, 2013 at 7:51 AM
Grace said…
I like the silk purse, portable womb~ But to leave it to fate to determine which children will survive, pretty tough lessons of life ~
June 17, 2013 at 8:18 AM
Marian said…
love it, Susie.
June 17, 2013 at 8:41 AM
Jim said…
I like the 'silk purse' womb, Susie. Silk purses represent riches, our lady spider has put all her riches in her special place.

Really great!
..
June 17, 2013 at 9:00 AM
Helen said…
I may have to change the way I view spiders! Beautiful poem ~~ makes this spider seem almost human.
June 17, 2013 at 10:38 AM
Timoteo said…
As the male spider, I think it's time for me to leave...sorry I can't stay for lunch.
June 17, 2013 at 10:42 AM
Kay L. Davies said…
So nicely done, Susie. I was hoping someone would make a connection with the spider's patient motherhood, and you've nailed it. Thank you!
K
June 17, 2013 at 11:30 AM
Sherry Blue Sky said…
Wow, I didnt know this about spiders. I especially love "which children will find strength".....just like humans!
June 17, 2013 at 12:22 PM
hedgewitch said…
You have given us scientific fact in a very engaging form, Susie--the spider certainly seems more practical than sinister, and the measured cadence reminds us that the balance of nature has its own logic.
June 17, 2013 at 1:35 PM
Susie Clevenger said…
@VaNdAnA..thank you
@LaTonya, Thanks. No matter how great the mother there comes a time when the child must make her/his own way.
@J Cosmo Newberry..thanks
@Hank, Thanks so much!
@Sayantini, Thanks!
@sreeja, thanks so much!
@Grace, thank you. Nature does have some hard lesson
@Marian,Thanks
@Jim, thank you.
@Helen, thanks. I feel even in the insect world mothers do what they can to see their children nurtured and try to insure their survival.
@Timoteo,I promise I won't bite..lol
@Kay, thank you and thanks for the prompt!
@Sherry, thanks!
@hedgewitch, thank you. We often view things like spiders as sinister when they are merely doing their best to survive and when given the choice they keep their distance from we humans.
June 17, 2013 at 6:49 PM
TCPC said…
very very beautiful! you have opened a new window of thoughts here.
June 18, 2013 at 6:11 AM
Herotomost said…
Oooolala.....those first lines kill! Creepy spider stuff aside Susie, this is a very tight piece of work. I will never view spiders the same, I will still scream like a little girl when I see one though....lol.
June 19, 2013 at 12:13 AM
Susie Clevenger said…
@Akila, thank you. I learned a lot from reading about the spider myself.
@Herotomost, thanks! I would love to hear you scream like a little girl...lol
June 19, 2013 at 5:53 PM
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