Spider’s Love

Despite the connotations
in flower language
when it comes to spider lilies,
I love you like one.
You’re not dead
but something delicate.
Spindly and soft,
something that survives
through all else.
And if we were in love
then I’d be the sun,
excited to see your face.
And even if you were death incarnate
I’d leave my heart and soul in your hands.
I’d let you poison me
while I nurture you,
for in the end
it’s love.

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Achilles Villwock is a senior in high school at Coral Academy of Science. They participated in a poetry contest in 2023. They also enjoy reading classical literature like Dostoevsky.