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The Man and The Snake
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Fused, in flight
he dove with haste into the sand pit. So little now to feel,
but hummingbird fear, crushed pebbles and bitter pride.
He danced in the yellowish crevice, swinging
religious aging arms;
as if invisible like the silent atmosphere
of stopped clock hands and snowflakes falling.
The cobra cocked its head. Suspended in the shadows,
its boneless beauty shone with lust.
He touched its tail first, then tongue; rolled
like thunder down its fleshy throat,
kicking his heels against
the interior shell of the snake being.
Breathless, he begged for poison,
or relief. The snake hissed –
Tonight, you return to the womb. Close your eyes
your sanctuary is complete.
His eyelids folded over like petals in a frost.
He kissed the dream, then followed his fate
home.
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Copyright © 1991 by Allison Grayhurst
amazon.com/author/allisongrayhurst
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Published in “Ygdrasil – A Journal of the Poetic Arts” July 2018
http://users.synapse.net/kgerken/
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Published in “Synchronized Chaos” May 2018
https://synchchaos.com/synchronized-chaos-june-2018/
http://synchchaos.com/poetry-from-allison-grayhurst-6/
Published in “New Mystics” July 2018
http://newmystics.com/lit/AllisonGrayhurst.html
http://www.newmystics.com/documents/AllisonGrayhurst-Poems5.pdf
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You can listen to the poem by clicking below:
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