Some of these spiders could straddle over a common saucer with their hairy, muscular legs, and when their feelings were hurt, or their dignity offeended, they were the wickedest-looking desperadoes the animal world can furnish. If their glass prison-houses were touched ever so lightly they were up and spoiling for a fight in a minute. Starchy?--proud? Indeed, they would take up a straw and pick their teeth like a member of Congress.
~Mark Twain on tarantulas
Hi y'all!
Two bits today. Pretty different, or maybe not. This gentleman offers diners custom poetry from the heart:
I heard the following poem performed this week during the Poetry Out Loud semi-finals. The student did an excellent job, and I was sorry she didn't get to go on to the finals. (I can't remember her name or state!)
TARANTULAS ON THE LIFEBUOY
By Thomas Lux
For some semitropical reason
when the rains fall
relentlessly they fall
into swimming pools, these otherwise
bright and scary
arachnids. They can swim
a little, but not for long
and they can’t climb the ladder out.
They usually drown—but
if you want their favor,
if you believe there is justice,
a reward for not loving
read the rest here
**********
Teaching Authors has the Poetry Friday round-up today. Thanks, JoAnn!
12 comments:
I think one could say that these offerings are both "goody goody", Tabatha. I love seeing about the diner. Although we don't get poetry at our favorite one, we do get yummy food! And an uncle and aunt saved many an animal out of their pool. That poem is outrageously kind, right? Thanks for the great entertainment today!
Oh, Mr. Twain, always clever.
And I'd love to sit in at that diner, for dinner and a poetry chaser!
Oh my gosh, the last seven lines of this poem are gorgeous. I am so sorry that we lost Thomas Lux this year, and glad that I had a chance to hear him read.
Oh, my. I have to add this to my mentor poems. I love spiders. Thank you Tabatha for sharing.
they may tell the others
....
that you are good
What better gift than to tell someone she is good. The poem actually made me verklempt. Thanks for sharing it!
Wow, I'm surprising even myself to say I REALLY like that tarantula poem! I didn't realize that you could read poetry that wasn't your own as part of Poetry Out Loud. I've been asked to give a couple spoken word workshops for teens this summer— it would be good if I knew what I was doing!
I would love to eat a good dinner with serving of good poetry. Where is the Goody Goody Diner? I like the tarantula poem, but I don't know if I could be that kind--though it did work out for Hagrid.
when your belief in justice
merges with your belief in dreams—
I'm holding on to my belief in justice and dreams...that's all.
Wow, Tabatha! That poem spoke directly to my heart in ways that I cannot share here. But, thank you. I would be a buoy again. I would.
Aw, Tabatha, trust you to find something special like this. Love Lux's kind point of view here. I never thought of life rafts for spiders (but then, I don't have a pool either).
What a beautiful pairing -- love the Twain quote, the rhyming host, and the Lux poem, and esp. love those last lines:
that you are good,
that you love them,
that you would save them again.
Thank you, Tabatha.
I like what Sly has to ay bout things getting to the heart. Poetry should get to the heart and stay there. And saving those spiders, such a dear poem. I can't imagine having those hairy beasts in my pool, though. Mind boggling. I thought japanese beetles were bad.
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