Eating Fear

I call my house spider Diane
because a month ago
she had a partner: Jack.

Then she ate him.

I was thinking about Jack
this morning while
watching Diane eat a bug.

You go girl!

Really. I cheered.
Then wondered…
how come I’m not afraid?

Like Eeek! A Spider! afraid?

Used to be a spider
would send me running…

SPIDER!!

Used to be I was afraid
of lots of things:
flying, climbing, swimming…

SHARK!!

And then I wasn’t.
Wasn’t afraid.
Nope. Not anymore.

Because I ate it.

Fear. I ate fear.
Swallowed it whole.
Just like Jack.

You go girl!

Poem ©2016, Jen Payne, National Poetry Month, 2