Size Not Relative To Bite Implied

Okay, you’ve saved my soul today,
my theme should be that odium we
share – the scream of racist offense
where pretenders pose as poets
with no defence but their selfish
interests. But you suggest a theme,
arachnophobia – no less.

Of thousands of Australian
spiders, arthropods and insects,
only three have bites alone which
are capable of causing death –
the funnel-web spider (and thus
an atrax clique), red back spider
and humble paralysis tick!

The rest perchance, can make a mess
with rest and elevation and
local application of icepacks
and lotions, simple analgesics,
antihistamines. In rare cases
anaphylactic effects are seen
which of itself is life threatening.

The fear is phobic enmity
neither rational nor securely
embraced in legend or history,
even children’s rhymes despair a
fair and dispassionate guise –
while spider size is not relative
to the venomous bite implied.

© 12 October 2007, I. D. Carswell