Trespassing

Trespassing

 

He sees me about the same time I see him.

And I’m trespassing.

Trespassing on his land.

The way he looks at me,

I know he knows it.

And so do I.

 

The trouble is I can’t go back:

Behind me is a creek I can’t cross

And I can’t go back.

So I watch him carefully.

And step cautiously around his web.

 

He’s the biggest garden spider I’ve ever seen.

And his web is worthy of his size.

It stretches all the way across the trail.

I’m large enough to knock his web out of the waywith

With my hand or a stick and charge on through.

 

But I’ve learned to be respectful when on someone else’s land

So with a tip of my hat, I ease around his web.

As the sun blazes brightly on his yellow and black abdomen.

I wish him well as I ease down this woods trail.

 

Curt Iles

August 2010

Castor Creek Scenic Area/Wild Azalea Trail

Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana

From the book, Deep Roots, by Curt Iles