We’ve been gone two years.
An observation is in order
Since we left our friends behind
And crossed the Florida border.
Hoosiers now, we’re happy
With our soybeans and our corn.
The folks here are quite friendly
And the winters must be borne.
But there’s one thing that I’ve noticed
When I contrast and I compare
Florida’s eight-legged creatures
With arachnids I find here.
Spiders in the Sunshine State
Are big and bright and scary.
Indiana’s are inferior
They’re light and rather airy.
I’ll find one in a corner
And smash it with one swipe.
I never see a giant one
With black and yellow stripes.
I remember abject fear
They smote into my heart
When I’d find one in the bathroom;
Across the floor it’d dart
I’d pursue it like a hunter
Sandal raised in my right hand
SMACK! I missed it! Where’d it go?
To Never-Never Land?
But Indiana spiders
Are much easier to kill
One quick whack; it’s over.
No fear, no chase, no thrill.
Yes, Hoosier ones are boring
And decidedly quite thinner
Florida’s are so big
You could fry them up for dinner.
And so, friends, in conclusion,
I’ll admit it with a sigh
I’ll probably live longer here
Blood pressure not so high
I miss my friends in Florida
Your songs, your love, your hugs
But I cannot say I really miss
Your spiders, snakes and bugs.
Copyright 2022 by Kate Carpenter
