The tiny crab-like spider

crawls about my ceiling

forages for food.

Recently there was a black dot

on the ceiling

the size of a pin point

peeking out from behind dust

it inched in her direction.

How nice, I thought,

it must be one of her brood.

Within a flash, she zapped it

scurried to her web

stuck it on for later.

Brought to mind Fred Cat

as we walked out the front door

a bird flew past—

split second sighting

he caught it on the spring

then flew into the woods.

If seconds before I had done

something different

done anything different

made the bed

put on tie shoes not loafers

taken a sweater out of the closet

the bird would still be alive

but I didn’t.

How do we explain split seconds

not included in the whole seconds

of a planned day —

I get up one morning

breakfast, shower

iron something to wear

leave dishes in the sink

drive to meet a friend for lunch

and in the driving

someone in a truck

dead-stops in front of me.

What celestial formations

appear in the night sky

when and where our navigator

stands bent over a chart

deciding on our daily course?