ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

Requiem For A Daddy Longlegs

We’d shared a bathroom here for weeks, my leggy friend and I,
She used to be up near the roof; then made her home nearby.
This move was fraught with danger; hardly worth the risk’s she took?
I just assumed she reckoned she would like a closer look.

She’d be there in the morning as I washed myself each day,
her many eyes would focus as I stripped my clothes away.
You would have thought she’d run away while screaming out in fright,
the mirror doesn’t lie my friends; it’s not a pretty sight.

Yet daily she would somehow dodge those scolding drops of death,
and though I always tried my best; I often held my breath.
But little did I know and nor did Cher (that was her name!);
that she was being stalked and surely I must share the blame.

I still remember thinking, when I noticed that she’d gone;
“she’s fed up looking at me and decided to move on”.
Then looking closely at the spot down where she used to be,
the signs of wicked murder were on view for all to see.

The remnants of two skinny legs, were clues there I could tell;
the killer was a ripper and a cannibal as well.
With fierce determination and an unforgiving heart,
I set about to track it down but wondered where to start

I slowly peeped behind the door and saw an evil face;
the killer stared right back at me - I’d found its hiding place.
It waved two hairy legs at me, no doubt to say hello
and anger melted out of me; I couldn’t land the blow.

A Huntsman has great beauty as I’m sure you’ll all agree;
you must abide with nature; it’s the way things have to be.
I left her there to roam the house which seemed a fitting end;
I’m glad I spared her life, for Henrietta’s now a friend.

© T.E. Piggott

That was careless,
Somehow managed to leave a word out in the second line (be)

Fixed it now.

Terry

How come a DADDYlonglegs is Cher and a HuntsMAN is called Henrietta ??

Good one though Terry ( we know what you mean )

Hi Neville,
Well I always thought of CHER as a leggy lass, who can forget her antics on one of the big guns of a warship - Daddy Longlegs are pretty leggy as well.

We always call Huntsmen Spiders that invade our homes from time to time; Henry's - hence the female Henrietta.

Our home is spider friendly; mostly Daddy Longlegs but the occasional Huntsman as well - we never kill them, but have been known to evict the odd one.

By the way this is a true story that happened a couple of weeks ago.

Cheers Terry

RIP Henrietta,
Is nowhere safe, I have just witnessed her last moments.

A big wasp has somehow entered the house and ambushed poor old Henrietta, I saw the villain dragging her paralyzed remains through the house and out into the garden.

Terry

Good poem Terry, and your house sounds very like mine. It's live and let live with the Daddy Longlegs and Huntsmen. I draw the line at white-tipped ones though - they meet a swiftly applied shoe lickety split.

Hi Robyn and thanks,
Yes our house is a sort of protected area for spiders - though Red Backs need not apply.

got to write a fun one now and again.

Terry

my geckoes seem to take care of spiders and anything else that sits still for too long with a bit of help from Frederica my huge green frog - I love your poem Terry Nice to know we have a few APBA members who can live and let live and appreciate that Nature has most things in hand

Thanks Maureen

Our home and back yard are overrun with all sorts of creatures with numerous Legless Lizards, small skinks, Geckoes and Frogs etc

Cheers Terry