Sister Spider

This large, sedentary spider
         which shares our bathroom,

spending hours wiping droplets
         from her leg hair,

has a dusting of animated poppy seeds
         on her back.

Greetings, spiders, with whom we inhabit
         common space;

and potoroo and magpie, also having a part
         in us, and we with you.

Greetings to everyday epiphanies;
         not forgetting you insects,

in bodiliness our brothers;
         and you, the unseen forms

which might infect, or assist,
         being heirs with us and all the other creatures

which walk, crawl, fly, slide, multiply,
         divide or stay put;

joint heirs of such molecular inheritance
         that where our skin stops,

our bodies do not stop,
         greetings.

© James Charlton