Along Came A Spider

Probably like most of you, I enjoy occupying my mind in the morning with a little reading material during my time in the necessary room. I have a small magazine container next to the throne where I keep the latest issues of National Geographic, Racer, Time, etc., depending on what strikes my fancy. Lately my favorite has been Walking Man's new book "Stink", which seems apropos. (It's a darned fine little book of masterful poetry and if you haven't gotten one, git yur ass over to his place and order it.) One morning a couple of weeks back I found myself sans-magazine and while sitting and staring at the wall I noticed that a small spider had taken up residence in the corner behind the door. We have a fairly new house and it was built pretty bug tight and I wondered how this guy was going to make a living in a place with precious little prey around. I decided I would leave him be and see how long he lasts. He built a little web just above floor level, over a small crack in the shoe molding which provided a retreat when he felt threatened. Over the course of two weeks, he actually did collect two bugs, a small fly and a mosquito. Pretty slim pickings if you ask me. I kind of forgot about him when I got some new reading material but yesterday, he again caught my eye. He looked pretty bad. He was now full grown, but emaciated and obviously nearing the end. I felt sorry for him. He had spent his entire life in a little corner of my bathroom with nothing to eat and no prospects. He had never seen the sun or felt the rain. He couldn't know that just outside my door lay a paradise of bugs and places to hide. I decided he deserved a chance, so I got him to crawl onto a piece of paper and took him outside. I didn't want to just place him in the yard because I was afraid that would be too much. Spiders, all insects for that matter, know their location by the overhead canopy. They actually navigate by the map they see overhead. This guy had seen nothing but a ceiling his whole life so I thought a spot in the carport would be perfect. I placed him on top of a small tool cabinet, near the back porch light, which always attracts lots of insects. I carefully set him down and watched like a doting parent as he slowly took in his new surroundings and tentatively took his first steps, moving one leg, then another. As I watched, from under a nearby flower pot, a gecko ran out and ate him.