Spider Meditation - an image by T Newfields

  Spider Meditation


in softly swaying branches
of a giant cedar tree
a spider sits
on silken cords
suspended in a breeze

resting between bark chunks
and sharp cedar needles
quietly it waits
for a moment
where accident
creates opportunity
and a passing insect
becomes tasty chopsuey

Chariya: Patience: that's essential for a good hunter.
An-Yi: Yeah, most of what we call "life" is a essentially a matter of waiting: only a few key moments are crucial. Everything else is an interlude.
Bhäraté: I'm not so sure. Perhaps everything is important in its own way. Isn't spinning a thread is just as important as resting on a leaf?
Daiki: (shaking his head) Maybe, but all this talk of spiders makes me feel yucky.
Bhäraté: Yeah, I don't like the idea of being somebody else's food.
An-Yi: Hey, we're all designed to be recycled. Eventually the worms, spiders, & bacteria will feast on your corpse.