Snake Poem by Claudia Krizay

I am a snake-
Some call me a venomous rattler.
Seething with anguish,
I slither in the sand.

There is no water in this tepid desert.
I foresee no oasis.
There is no liquid to quench
My insatiable thirst.
A mirage has become a liar to me.

I am a venomous rattling snake.
I squirm beneath the torridity of
This desert’s noon sun.

Fearful of all who encounter me,
I am a frightening source to others.

I am a snake – terrified, and defensive.
I lash out to all who approach me.

I am a rattler, who dwells in the Kalahari,
Amongst the natives known as
The” no kneed Bushmen”-who pay games of
Catch with the rising and the setting sun.

Hunted down,
A poisonous arrow spears me.
Slithering more and more slowly within the brush,
I know that I am on the descent towards hell.

My heart weakens, and ceases to beat.
As life slowly escapes me,
My spirit evades me,
As I writhe in emotional agony.


Claudia Krizay