Friday from the Archives: “i forgive the spiders” a poem by doris davenport from NCLR 20 (2011)
NCLR joins family and friends in mourning the passing of Dr. doris davenport earlier this month. davenport published this poem in our 2011 issue feature “North Carolina Environmental Writing” and joined a reading at Malaprop’s in Asheville (pictured).
i forgive the spiders
by doris davenport
This morning’s walk in the
post-dew park 7:35 a.m.
already warming to hot
off the paved walking path
down the jagged dirt
trail past the little
square red 5th tee sign
sloped on through undergrowth weeds
ferns mini-trees ivy acorns
pine cones brown dirt alongside
a flowing dry creek bed and back,
on uneven, drought-hard
ground so had to glance
down to see a lone long
spider web stretched
across a small ankle-high space
only visible at a
certain angle and i smiled,
stepped over it so as not to ruin
the hunt, stepped
high and smiled.
Read or purchase a copy of the 2011 “NC Environmental Writing” issue.
