Emalyn Sharp
It was a very long walk
Exhausted, I barely had the strength to stand
I wanted something to lean upon
So I took a nearby stick in my hand
I was playing a game
I thought I’d have a little fun
The stick turned into a snake
I didn’t have the sense to run
I wouldn’t drop it
I let it coil around my arm
It was dangerous
Intent on causing harm
The snake opened up his mouth
Then dug his fangs into my heart
the pain spread through my bloodstream
this was just the start
The paralysis set in
help would come too late
My vision had been blurred
I contemplated my fate
Actions all have consequences
Innocent as they may seem
That’s the last thing I thought of
I slipped into a psychotic dream
My life was swelling up
I could hardly breathe
I had let the snake sweep me
right off of my feet
I was addicted to the venom
It was hard to survive
The beady eyes that destroyed me
Also kept me alive
The medics found my body
Revived it from the fall
Made an antidote from the poison
The snake hid from us all
Gone but not forgotten
I writhe in pain at night
The memories of the cool scales
The pain of the sharp bite
The subtle hiss of promises
That never meant a thing
Wrapped around my throat
I still feel the sting
The cure is common
No one need suffer
If only it worked that way
There is always another