I sit and spin my little web
Filament, filament, filament
Out of myself I throw it
Into the wild, wild world
And on days like this
When I do not see it catch
Lonesome, lonesome, lonesome
Screams my heart
I spin this web
Back and forth
Up and down
I toil
Vain, vain, vain
This all seems to me
Today I can’t make my lines connect
And I strive alone in the corner of the barn
Waiting for something to catch
No one here to read my words
Beloved, beloved, beloved
I just want someone to call me
Here I feel
Colder, colder, colder
All I want is warmth
I’ve been trying myself
My spider legs are weak
And I’m ready to give up
My strings are
Breaking, breaking, breaking
Oh my soul
How I need to feel that hand underneath me
Carry me back
Show me the big picture
Radiant, radiant, radiant
That’s what I hope you use this to be
I’ll keep throwing my gossamer
And spinning my web
As a monument to grace
Note: This piece was inspired by Walt Whitman’s poem “A Noiseless, Patient Spider,” and I encourage you to read it.
Christine Eaton is a student attending Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California who loves stories and art. She can usually be found happily sipping tea, pouring over her studies in literature, education, philosophy, caving into her chocolate addiction, or listening to music. Art is one of her largest passions, and her walls are covered in her sketches and paintings. She has a strong admiration for the prose of A.S. Peterson, Marilynne Robinson, Wendell Berry, Joan Didion, Sylvia Plath, and Sandra Cisneros.
Beautiful poem, Christine! Who knew you could relate so much to a spider? I loved all the repetition in it.
Thank you, Katherine. The repetition was fun to write.
Thank you for sharing this poem with us, Christine! <3
Thanks for taking time to read it!
I really enjoyed and connected with your poem; especially the part that says “Today I can’t make my lines connect And I strive alone in the corner of the barn Waiting for something to catch No one here to read my words”. And this part too actually: “And I’m ready to give up My strings are Breaking, breaking, breaking Oh my soul”. Very well written. You showed both the here and now of the spider and the longing for something better. Good job.
Thank you, Sarah. I’m glad to hear these words resonated with you. It’s always nice to know that someone else can feel them and understand.