Ode to Spider Ponders Shared Future

REIDSVILLE, Ga. — Here is the text of Johnnie L. Johnson’s poem, “Cellmate”:

in the upper left hand corner of my cell

beneath the roof of his weatherproof

concrete sky

a sly

and ever alert spider catnaps

with one hairy hand

on his web-fine fishing line

a patient fisherman

he awaits the signal

announcing the arrival

of another foolish fly

who swimming carelessly

in his ocean of air has

become ensnared in

the fisherman’s net

yesterday I watched him

as he gracefully swung

from his web-limb

an eight-armed Tarzan

trailing a vine of web behind

and once he lost his hold and fell

a short distance into space

but his safety line held fast

and for a moment there

he was like a mountain climber

dangling in mid air

and I held my breath until at last

he pulled himself to shore

and I laughed aloud to see him stand

safe but shaken on his own strand

but he pays no attention to me

and acts as though he does not see

his enemy here below

he sits behind his sticky desk

like a fat pompous official

a tyrant who dictates to those below

and so someday

when his antics no longer please

and I have grown tired of his presence

his whole world will be swept away

with one swish of the broom

and this cell which some call a room

will be more empty without him

and I shall regret my loss

because he served me well

in that he disposed of the flies I loathe

but moreover he is a compatible companion

quiet clean neat undemanding

and doesn’t occupy much space

and I think it good that

he will never know what whim

caused the stroke that destroyed him

I wonder would he be consoled

if he knew that I too await my fate

and wonder what broom

will sweep me away and how soon