32 Poems Poetry Magazine: Andrea Hollander Budy

	Subscribe	Submit	News	Links	Home

Tiny Spider in the Bathroom Sink

by Andrea Hollander Budy

I tried to be careful. It lounged along the left side
of the bowl, the smallest I’ve ever seen, a dot
with legs. An asterisk. I turned the water
only slightly on and aimed the thin stream
directly toward the drain and watched the spider
squat on all eight miniscule legs and raise itself again.
But after I brushed my teeth the full two minutes
to appease my dentist and held the foamy brush
under the water and flicked the bristles
with my thumb to help release the minty suds,
I forgot it was there, and opened the faucet
full force and rinsed my mouth and spat,
and saw too late the dark speck spiraling down.
And I began to understand how it happened
that after the doctor announced the bleak diagnosis
and looked down at his silent desk, my father said,
as if it were someone else whose life and death
they were discussing, Oh, isn’t that sad.

Donate to 32 Poems. We are a nonprofit tax-exempt organization, so you'll save on your taxes with every donation!

Risk-free offer! Subscriptions to 32 Poems are only $12 for one year (to U.S. addresses). Click the button below and we'll start your subscription right away. If you don't want to continue receiving 32 Poems after receiving your first issue, write us to cancel. We'll cancel your subscription right away. Visit this page for international rates.

Masthead View Various Issues