I too was moved by the simple powerful poem. It taps into a common human experience most can relate to.

On the other hand, the fear of police black people are living with I can understand but it’s not what I have to live with. I’ve driven around with broken lights on my vehicle. Being pulled over by a cop is a concern but being shot in the prices is so small a probability it does not exist.

There is also a huge differential in the power between a human and a spider; at maybe hundreds of times larger and more powerful, the spider has much more to fear from us.

Spiders are common in my home. While there are potentially dangerous ones the majority are not. I don’t want to make this a metaphor, but in the past iwhen I spot on in my bathroom or kitchen it was easier to grab a paper towel, smushed it, and discard. Once at a friends home, I watched as she noticed an annoying fly. With a smooth deliberate motion, she cupped the insect in her hand, walked outside and let it go. When she saw me watching, she shrugged and said, “I’m a Buddhist. All life is scared.” Since then, I keep a plastic cup and a thin piece of cardboard in my cleaning supply closet. When I see a spider now, I put the cup over it, slip the cardboard underneath, and I can then take the spider outside and let it go. It takes more time and effort, but I feel better than just killing it.

The poem is a beautiful entrance point to discuss empathy.