Spider in a Blemished Rose

This is a lightly humorous bit of poetry about nature's activity during a windy warm autumn afternoon. Specifically it is the meeting of two tiny creatures on a frost-ravished large Mirandy rosebud. And yes, the proof is in the pudding, er, the photos! Enjoy!

Hence this tale of a tiny spider, a small green beetle, and the unexpected viewing of their conference upon a Mirandy rosebud which had been previously damaged by freezing nighttime temperatures.

So, stand in the warm windy day with me, camera in hand. The very thorny Mirandy rosebush has one large blotchy bud swaying in gusty sunshine: Upon that blemished rose there is a green beetle similar to a ladybug in size and demeanor.

Shucks! I rush into the house to get new batteries --I had forgotten there were none in the camera.

Now we are back beside the rosebush with warming sun upon our shoulders, standing so as not to cast shadows upon that green beetle clinging securely to Mirandy. I have to grasp the thorny stem as wind is marauding my photography of that green bug on dark red. "Ouch!"

So the story progresses...

There once was a spider that hid in a rose.

How long it sat there, I think no one knows.

It had climbed past sharp thorns to find a loose petal,

and had such a journey he'd almost lost mettle.

But spider was hungry and thought it might be

an appealing peripheral to snatch meals for free.

Then came a green bug with black spots galore,

and spider thought "Dinner!", and savored lots more.

Cold nights had tarnished that beautiful flower,

but spider was patient in his unbloomed bower.

That green bug crawled round, all over, down, up,

though spider just watched while waiting to sup.

But buggy kept walking with no thought in mind

of danger nor problem to suddenly find.

Spider peeked upward and buggy looked down:

I didn't hear greetings nor see any frown.

They stared for a moment. Bug stopped in its tracks,

while spider stayed frozen, attempting no whacks!

The moment was over -- who knows what occurred.

I guess the small spider, frustrated, demurred.

So casually, green bug tracked back up the rose...

then turned once again and followed his nose -

around for another quick tease at his foe...

took wing in brisk breeze...and decided to GO!

Poor wingless spider, still hungry and small,

lost out on his banquet. How sad after all!

This spider was about 3/8" wide measuring the approximate width of its outstretched legs, a tiny arachnid in soft creamy color. Surely it must have recognized its conquest of the beetle to be an impossibility because of their size comparison. Perhaps it knew the beetle had a hard shell?

The spider did creep out several times to see where the beetle was, but when the bug crawled right past spider on the edge of that petal, the spider did not attempt to subdue its prey. Instinct, intelligence, or whatever else, that speaks of a natural activity that we know little about.

If I'd a mosquito or other small bug handy, I would have offered it to the spider. Would you?