You told me life was crazy
Never about the snakes in the grass
You told me they were evil
One bite- I would never last

And alas,
I did avoid them
Sitting with my legs, eyes, arms, mind, and soul crossed- feeling lost.
I was your sparkling gem.

Still there was no contingency
Between what you said and what it meant
So I uncrossed my legs and my eyes,
My mind and my arms,
My soul- I let myself go.

When I met with the snake,
I did not flinch like you said I would,
When I touched the snake,
He did not bite like you said He would.

When I was down,
He wrapped around my waist like the only one,
As if he were the only one,
Cold-blooded but more compassionate than you.