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Poetry

The jumping spider and the tree

A free verse nature poem.

What an unusual tree,
The jumping spider observed.

And how on earth does it know
How to walk and talk?

This is not what trees do.

I think I’ll anchor my line here
And climb up for a closer look.


A strange tickle took the man by surprise; and so, he looked down at the round of his shoulder. The man saw a tiny creature staring at him. It moved in a robotic flicker.

It was a jumping spider; or so that’s what he always called them as a child. But do they jump, he wondered. He had never seen. And so he brought his chin down closer to his shoulder. The row of black eyes returned his stare.

The jumping spider
Upon further inspection
Can jump after all.

The man learned.

A very odd tree indeed, the jumping spider said.
I will rest in the canopy for now.

Photo by Timothy Dykes on Unsplash

By Jeffrey Pillow

Jeffrey Pillow is an American short story writer, memoirist, and poet. He is the author of The Lady Next Door. His writing has been published in Urge Magazine, The Nervous Breakdown, 16 Blocks, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, TheBody.com, New York Times, Washington Post, and Richmond Times-Dispatch.

He grew up in the small town of Phenix, Virginia, population: 200, and now lives in Charlottesville with his wife, two kids, and a dog named Mozzarella Cheese. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he was a Rainey Scholar. This is his blog.

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