Charmed Chaos

It’s a lovely day in my garden, and I am as happy as a woman can be. For you see, today I acquired a plant I have wanted from the first time I saw it. ‘Adenium Arabicum’, whose common name is Desert Rose. It’s a beautiful plant, a living piece of flowing sculpture. with a smooth thick bulbous trunk and waxy veined green leaves. And when it blooms, it’s a brilliant miracle. Now, nothing to do but find the perfect pot and plant it, love it, and watch it grow. I start digging around through my store of empty pots, searching for the perfect one. There- that’s it! I pull the pot from the shelf.

AAAAAAGH!!!! There she is. Looking at me with her wicked eyes, taking in the situation. My scream gets her moving, and I put the infested pot on the ground. Racing to the tool shed, I go in search of what I need. She mustn’t escape! I grab the contraption and run back to the pot. She’s still there, but now I am taking in everything around her. Nine silken sac pouches. Dear God, how long has she been here? I shudder as I prime the sprayer. I point it at the pot and she is now moving at a confident slow pace towards the top of the pot. I say to myself, maybe she senses her impending doom and that of her children. I pull the trigger and….nothing!! It’s not working, the damn sprayer is not working. Damn,damn,damn!!!!

Think Linda, Think.

Panicked, I open the sprayer, and pour the entire contents into the pot. She is trying to get away, but the insecticide overtakes her. My joy from this morning has withered, much like she is doing now. The re-potting will have to wait until my heart slows. Walking into the house, I collapse into my favorite chair.

©2021 Linda Lee Lyberg

Author’s Note: I have a deathly fear of spiders. So much so, that I can’t even step on them to kill them. I don’t like to kill anything, but spiders freak me out.

Poet’s United: Telling Tales with Magaly Guerrero- Phobias and Fears