the spider (a love poem)

I remember
when love
was an elusive spider –

an intruder
that kept
trying to creep
into my life,

crawling between the cracks
of hardwood floors
before disappearing
into the shadows
of sleepless
nightmares.

I spent restless years
trapped by distraction,
haunted by
a thing I could not catch,

but secretly wanting
a tarantula
to come, unannounced
and shake me awake.

when it finally happened,
love sent shivers
up and down
my spine.

It slowly
made its way
from doubt and darkness
into beauty
as I unraveled
out of fear
and willingly walked

into a woman’s
web.