‘The First Floor Spider’, ‘The Problem With Asking For Help’ & ‘Resentments’
Aditya Kumar is a teen who's participated in several photography competitions, his best accomplishment being awarded 4th Place (Honorable Mention) in the PTA Reflections District Photography Middle School Division. He's currently a Sophomore in high school striving for excellence, having lessons each week for 5 different instruments (Guitar, Piano, Flute, Piano, and Tabla (Indian Percussion Instrument), and meetings every day for the countless extracurriculars he's part of.
The First Floor Spider
The frigid wind blew hard that November night
My bare feet chilled by the pearl ceramic floor
The TV sung loud, the shower water was hot
When in the corner of my eye, I spot it
A small black spider making his way to the door
My first thought was to pity how he got there
The far cry my hotel room was from his home
That I couldn’t kill him simply for being
My shower could wait until he’s back outside
Back to where he belongs, back to where he can roam
I grabbed a tissue and coaxed him to get on
He scurried away at first but soon crawled up
As I gingerly held it, he scaled the sides
Did he worry that he was going to die?
Had he done this before, been inside someone’s cup?
I opened the hallway door and shook him off
And onto the whimsical carpet he fell
But what if someone else walks down that hallway
And crushes him unknowingly as he sits
For far too long I thought, for far too long I dwelled
The Problem With Asking For Help
I know you so often worry about me
It casts a grey shadow
Across your face
It’s been getting tougher
The water getting deep
At night, it’s so hot
I can hardly sleep
Every apartment I tour turns me down
They all seem to want
Six figures, at least
But I make too much
To get Section 8
So, in my sedan
I will continue to sleep
“Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Nothing that I haven’t
Already tried
No Gram, I haven’t yet
Hemmed those beige pants
I’m a bit distracted
A bit preoccupied
Yes, I have recently talked with dad
He just called to ask
For money for dabs
Of course I said no
I can’t do that right now
She said “that is upsetting
I hope you figure it out”
He said that since I’m a big girl now
I will make it through
By changing point of view
To be dry-eyed
In this time of stress
I should try to reframe
This all as a test
I say I understand
You’re unable to help
Then in the same breath he asks
“How is your mental health?
Resentments
The midnight comes, the silence breathes
I felt the stinging winter wind
I took a moment for myself
Then, there I was
Entranced by my memories
I laid to rest underneath trees
The hops soured my hot breath
Then, I disappeared
Begrudgingly accompanied
By the words of enemies
The daytime breaks, the moon concedes
The air hung still and smelling sweet
I took a moment for myself
Then, there I was
Grieving with my memories
The sun is sharp, my mind’s edge dull
For now, that stale feeling recedes
But those thoughts never truly leave
I took a minute to myself
Then, I was gone
Swallowed by my memories
Maura Aradia Furtado, a New Jersey native, became enamored with poetry at a very young age and hasn’t slowed down since. She is a new writer with no prior publication history, but her passion and dedication to the art is unwavering.
