When I first wrote this story as prose, it was 1,000 words. The next day I followed a poetry prompt to write a poem that is one sentence, 14 lines, and about 100 words. Ninety percent shorter is usually better.
SPIDER WHISPERER
When we saw the spider sitting above the doorframe
two of us thought it was harmless
but you knew it had to be harmful because it was a spider
only I knew better because I’ve known lots of spiders
and this one looked kind of like Charlotte,
so I got the broom
knocked it to the floor
then, instead of smashing it,
I coaxed it
down the hall, gently sweeping and whispering,
“this way, baby, c’mon, baby, almost there”
until the spider—dazed—walked out the front door
into the dark dirt and later, when I looked it up,
I found out it was venomous after all.