Spider Web Poetry
written by Guanzon
illustrated by Sin, the Weaver in Blue
Some spiders use their web as a form of expression. By laying patterns of silk over a scene, they create their own “poem”—a collaboration with their environment to express a complicated relationship with the world around us.
A poem is a combination of how its strands frame an image as well as its lifespan. It can frame any angle of its environment, and capture any moment from sunrise to sunset. These poems are innumerable fleeting moments of beauty—a futile exercise in capturing transience.
For spiders that do not weave traditional webs, their crafts can also be included in the tradition. A trapdoor can capture two different frames whether opened or closed, the diving bell can bend wondrous light beneath the water. Beyond spiders, this level of social and expressive architecture can be found in other facets of the animal kingdom including termites, birds, apes, even fish.
When telling a story that includes Spider Web Poetry, consider the following:
- The environment is a co-author, not a medium.
- Poems are not made to last forever, and cannot be predicted or contained.
- A creator is not a keeper; a completed poem cannot be touched by a weaving.
- Love the poems you make.
Story Arc: Finding Our Poem
We’ve found a place that we will leave behind, but we want to leave our heart here. A celebration of poetry, we find ourselves stumbling through the Summer Solstice Festival, where artists intend to make the most of the extended daylight.
First Gathering
We are on our travels and have found a place of beauty, but we will depart soon enough to address more concerning dangers. What sort of place has moved your hearts? Where are you headed once the festival is over?
Free Play
There are similar pieces to every place of wonder: pieces where light finds its way in and the day creatures rely on, barriers that define this place from that, dark pieces where vulnerable creatures find refuge. We will find what we each think is beautiful here.
Deck Burner
You’ve found the subjects of the poem, but now you must find a way to make it work. Determine your framing device, and the position/perspective it must be placed to capture everything all of you need. Soon, the light will change with the seasons and the Festival will be over.
Laid To Rest
Our effort of creation is complete. We move on to higher stakes, regardless of what we have left in our wake. Did we capture time and space in its glory, or have we polluted this place with our egos?