Today, I am a world wide surfing spider.
My fingers nimbly chase its binary threads,
which yesterday hadn’t been dreamt or spun.
As I write, I weave my digital truth.

My fingers nimbly chase its binary threads,
I couldn’t perceive their ways when I was younger,
and as I write, I weave my digital truth,
not seeing the vastness of the world without.

When I was younger I couldn’t perceive the snare
that drew me into this shiny cell phone screen,
and not knowing that the outside world’s so vast,
I dreamt that one day we might fly around it.

Trapped in a cell as small as a mobile screen,
a gaol which yesterday hadn’t been dreamt or spun,
I yearn to spread my wings and finally fly
but today? I’m just a world wide surfing spider.

As promised yesterday, a pantoum. This is a Malaysian poetry form where 8 lines are rearranged and repeated in a set pattern that can come up with some fascinating and surprising results.
(28.05.26)

© Ben Quant 2026
Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash