{"id":3748,"date":"2023-04-21T01:00:47","date_gmt":"2023-04-21T05:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/spire\/?p=3748"},"modified":"2023-04-21T09:02:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-21T13:02:24","slug":"lake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/umaine.edu\/spire\/2023\/04\/21\/lake\/","title":{"rendered":"Web of Life and Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Allan Lake<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If my car is idle for a couple days,
\n<\/span>ambitious spiders create competing
\nempires in uninhabited valleys between
\n<\/span>bumper and side panel or where seldom
\n<\/span>used rear door meets rear panel and even
\n<\/span>within springy trapdoor that opens
\n<\/span>to allow my car to drink fossil fuel so
\n<\/span>I can drive to a supermarket to replenish
\n<\/span>bread, eggs and insect spray. Spiders
\n<\/span>are born builders; as a descendant
\n<\/span>of Cain, I\u2019m a born killer.<\/span><\/p>\n

And I am the wrathful one who owns
\n<\/span>the past-its-use-by chariot. I wreck with-
\n<\/span>out mercy because I can. Look out, planet.
\n<\/span>Let simple creatures devote their energy
\n<\/span>to building \u2018netropolises,\u2019 imagine them-
\n<\/span>selves architects of low-rise Babels
\n<\/span>to cloak the world, <\/span>if I allow it<\/span><\/i>.
\n<\/span>Insects that fly or bumble into my car
\n<\/span>would not be brightest of their kind
\n<\/span>but might be nutritious. I\u2019ll find out
\n<\/span>if climate change forces me to consume
\n<\/span>whatever is left of the insect world.<\/span><\/p>\n

If readers expect insightful reflection
\n<\/span>on empires in general \u2013 Incan, Persian,
\n<\/span>Roman or extant MacDonald\u2019s \u2013
\n<\/span>don\u2019t hold breath, unless I\u2019m spraying.
\n<\/span>I\u2019m going to wash despidered, outdated
\n<\/span>car then beeline to nearest fast food joint.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Allan Lake   If my car is idle for a couple days, ambitious spiders create competing empires in uninhabited valleys between bumper and side panel or where seldom used rear door meets rear panel and even within springy trapdoor that opens to allow my car to drink fossil fuel so I can drive to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2245,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-spire-2023-issue"],"yoast_head":"\nWeb of Life and Death - The Maine Journal of Conservation and Sustainability - 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