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Once I was a spider when you were born a racoon.
That time, that life, that chances that we took
made you take your flight afar like a loony ballon
though I was attached to you as if your were a hook.
I was a velvet-footed spider with all-seeing eyes
and span my cobweb while you span my head
and in your North-American woods created lies
which I accepted lying on my spidery bed.
You were sly and intrusive and silly,
you made so many practical jokes on others
but were never beaten by any offended hillbilly
and every man you saw was your brother
and every woman you met was your lover.
I was the only creature beyond this definition
as I was not a human but a spider for you
And being my tamed racoon was your ambition.
I brought you dead flies to taste and chew
but you chuckled and sniffed at my trouble
and went to the rivers with your big family.
They didn't know you lead a life that was double
I was the only one who knew, your true family.
All my spider-brothers laughed at my racoon friend,
even flies and moths made fun of my weakness
but my claws were sharp, it was you I tried to defend
watching my devotion turning to sickness.
At times you came to my cave bringing fish to eat
and river water to drink that made me drunk
but I still drank with you and felt fully complete.
I stopped visiting other webs becoming a monk,
Once I even stopped spinning my own web
there was no more anything to reach out for
as you stopped visiting me facing your ebb,
facing your old age on your last American shore.
In my spidery dreams I was looking for you
and dozens of my long dark legs were stamping
calling for you as how to talk spiders don't have a clue.
I stamped so hard my legs started cramping.
But once you came back to my home.
such a big fat animal with childish jokes
that made you appear left and alone.
Then I felt that sudden change that evokes
between an old couple with no future to wait for
just past memories to cherish and recall.
But as I was a hungry beast with no friendly paw
I offered you my sticky cobweb to crawl.
You winked at me and I understood that you knew,
that you saved me as the last person to come to,
you exclaimed that from the web was the best view
and jumped on it adding that it was such a coup.
Your curious nose easily smelled the danger
but that time your arms were not crossed
so dozens of my black legs came a bit closer
and the goodbye kiss I gave you wasn't forced.
Your last breath was dramatic as you were a poseur
ending your small racoon life with no misery
knowing that I would eat myself through eternity
in that dark, damp and lonesome scenery
due to you I was cast out from my proud spider fraternity.
But lacking moths and flies for my afternoon tea
now I am spinning a cerement for your two black legs
from my web, the only fabric I have here for free.
I'm spinning it with dozens of my busy black legs
and from now on forever each will cry silently
reaching out for you in the darkness of my cave
knowing that you are lying under my legs half-heartedly
and that my translucent spidery web is your grave.
Today no moths nor flies I taste and chew,
I'm starving to death thinking that I'll see you soon
There's only one tale I repeat and it gets me through
that's about a spider when you were born a racoon.