The X-spider

Blogger friend, Anand Amembal, posts this wonderful capture of an Argiope Spider, from the Gandhi Tekdi, in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park , North of Mumbai.   This spider, found in temperate and warmer climes, weaves in an X-shaped pattern in white amidst  paths in its web. Sometimes designed to attract prey, and sometimes designed to keep of predators.

And it never ceases to amaze me how we as the so called smarter species, also do similar things...... 

(photo by Anand Amembal)

An Argiope Spider,
practicing
his tricks
in a far corner of Mumbai.

Inspired
by the hoodwinking
indulged-in
by those who purport
to run Mumbai.

Insufficient living space,
entangling folks
in a web and maze
of confusing
almost invisible
regulations,
bad roads with gaps,
zebra crossings in white
meant for walkers,
but driven
over mindlessly
by predators in 4 wheels.

What price
emulation
of what
everyone thinks
is the smarter species ?

The Interrupted Dance....

My blogger friend Sandhya, posted this as part of her Wordless Wednesday series.

Clicked in the gardens at Munnar, in the mountains,  it appeared as if these two were really enjoying a decent outing, a huge change from spinning webs in corners of crowded buildings and rooms amidst junk, catching pesky insects, and trying to avoid folks who walk around with brooms.  (I fly on a broom. Check on the left sidebar.  Just saying.)

Sadly, it was not to be.  Bloggers traipsing around with cameras and clicking , is the latest scourge.


Bloggers may be posting Wordlessly on Wednesdays.  The spiders et al must crib all seven days of the week.


(photo by Sandhya)

They emerged
from
the urban chaos,
free
into the garden;
simply no privacy
in these days of
expensive housing.

The cool greens,
the dappled sunlight,
smooth petal paths,
and the Spider-rao,
and Spideri-bai
stepped gaily
through the garden
dancing in unision
to the tune
of
Jai Ho !

But it was not to be.
A smiling lady
with a camera
advanced
and clicked.....

And a little caterpillar
lurking behind
a flower,
looked up, and said,
"We need to appoint PROs!
These bloggers !
She clicked me too ...."
:-)

Origins of the Net.........:-)

Blogger friend Swaram , posted a photograph taken by a member of her group, while on a trip to the Araku Valley, a hill station near Vizag, in Andhra Pradesh.

While several folks shudder, and this particular spider being , of a special big local variety, seems to be fairly comfortable in his own Net, the blogger when asked, said :

"Ayyo I go looking out for spiders whenever we go hiking/ trekking I luvvv them "

This is probably what the spider had to say.....

(photo by Swaram's group)

Playing with fibres
since the beginning of time,
I weave my web,
intricate
dream networks,
to catch
dream worms
as I enjoy
the scenery,
the greenery,
making great connections,
without a sound,
watching fuzzily,
through the scenery in silk.

They tried,
they think they’ve done it,
but some folks
dreamed up a
World Wide Web,
complete with Nets
in a
different type of fibre,
and
instead of
catching the worm,
the
worm virus
caught on to them.

Too many nets,
Too many webs,
a great many
loud clicks,
and
i wonder often
as I relax
on the silk;
whoever heard
of listening to music
while weaving the Net?