the first thing I feel is that there is a lot more inner meaning to it than what it says.
secondly, it just doesn't feel that you were given conditional words at all. the flow is very very natural, one forgets to remember that there are
given words knitted within these lines.
there is a rythm.
above all, there is a soul to the poem. it feels like as if some one is saying it to me with a little bit of sarcasm and telling me that, it is time that i stopped and looked at myself to realise what I am doing.. I don't know this is what you meant, but this is what I felt.
protecting the self with a newspaper, book or a broom against an arachnid .. kind of very sarcastic at today's human life (or the culture/civilisation we have reached today!!)..
I am not very good at english, let alone in poems.. so, if my interpretation is wrong it is just me. It feels something very deep to me.
You should publish it stephanie.