The Boy And The Snake
Henry was every morning fed
With a full mess of milk and bread.
One day the boy his breakfast took,
And eat it by a purling brook
Which through his mother's orchard ran.
From that time ever when he can
Escape his mother's eye, he there
Takes his food in th'open air.
Finding the child delight to eat
Abroad, and make the grass his seat,
His mother lets him have his way.
With free leave Henry every day
Thither repairs, until she heard
Him talking of a fine grey bird.
This pretty bird, he said, indeed,
Came every day with him to feed,
And it loved him, and loved his milk,
And it was smooth and soft like silk.
His mother thought she'd go and see
What sort of bird this same might be.
So the next morn she follows Harry,
And carefully she sees him carry
Through the long grass his heaped-up mess.
What was her terror and distress,
When she saw the infant take
His bread and milk close to a snake!
Upon the grass he spreads his feast,
And sits down by his frightful guest,
Who had waited for the treat;
And now they both begin to eat.
Fond mother! shriek not, O beware
The least small noise, O have a care-
The least small noise that may be made,
The wily snake will be afraid-
If he hear the lightest sound,
He will inflict th'envenomed wound.
She speaks not, moves not, scarce does breathe,
As she stands the trees beneath;
No sound she utters; and she soon
Sees the child lift up its spoon,
And tap the snake upon the head,
Fearless of harm; and then he said,
As speaking to familiar mate,
'Keep on your own side, do, Grey Pate:'
The snake then to the other side,
As one rebukëd, seems to glide;
And now again advancing nigh,
Again she hears the infant cry,
Tapping the snake, 'Keep further, do;
Mind, Grey Pate, what I say to you.'
The danger's o'er-she sees the boy
(O what a change from fear to joy!)
Rise and bid the snake 'good-bye;'
Says he, 'Our breakfast's done, and I
Will come again to-morrow day:'
Then, lightly tripping, ran away.
poem by Charles Lamb
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
True Friends? ? ?
the snake slithers around
sneaky not to make a sound
slowly creeps upon his prey
attacks then runs away
beware of him he bites
and does it within his rights
he might be pretty to look at
but truly he's ugly lot
the snake will smother
even kill his own mother
snakes are full of greed
upon your soul he will feed
the snake is a self-adoring creature
humility is not a feature
snakes are everywhere
so beware.......
poem by Ultimate Cyan
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Cause of Enmity between Snake and Man
Snake, the first owner of fire.
Dog, the robber of fire.
Man the last owner of fire.
The snake gave birth first to fire.
Thus fire, the first born of snake.
Thus snake, only owner of fire long ago.
One cold evening
The man dying of coldness
The dog seen it master dying of coldness
It went to snake house and begged
The snake, the mother of fire to let
It tail get warm of fire
The snake cordially welcomed the dog
The dog twisted it tail on fire
The tail caught the fire
The dog jumped over the snake in door
Ran quickly to it master, the man
The man took the grass and wood
And lit up the fire
The fire lit up in man’s house
And it extinguished in snake’s house
The snake come to get fire back
But the man attack the snake
The hostility between man and snake
Began then
poem by David Aoloch Bion
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Plaything
The black snake
Hiding in the grass
The black snake
So frightening
The black snake
That wouldn’t let me pass
Was a toy snake
Of a little boy
A toy snake
That was all it was
A toy snake
Left there in the grass
A small toy
Of a little boy
That a little girl
Should have enjoyed
© 2009 Sonya Florentino
poem by Sonya Florentino
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Mockingbird
At first it seemed a game
Between the criminally insane.
A bird risking death without a care
To provoke this one, from the air.
Flying by the outstretched head
Ignoring the threat that other's dread.
Darting back and forth
In what appeared mindless mirth
As it teased this one of blackness
Intent only in causing distress
To this one of Nature's lowest creatures
That Eve discovered had other features.
The snake remained motionless
Seeming to ignore this flighty pest,
Then slowly raised his head
Above the surrounding grass, and instead
Of lying silently,
Motionless, patiently.
He challenged this demon of unrest
The long-tailed airborne pest.
His tongue darting out as if to warn
The bird that his scorn
Would be answered quickly by
A strike, as he flies
Nearer and nearer to the grassy stranger
Who seemed to pose no impending danger.
As if rising to the challenge, in mock
Of the snake, the bird feigned an attack
From one angle, reversing in mid-air
And came in a fast swoop, as if from no where.
The battle was over, the bird had won
As the snake dropped his head and was on the run.
Now attacking from the rear
The snake had much more to fear
As the bird with outstretched tiny talons
Plucked the tip of the tail and raised it to the heavens.
Having no defense from this attack
The snake squirmed and flipped its back.
Too late to strike at the offender
It was equivalent to surrender,
But the bird, no quarter given
Plunged again from the heavens.
Again and again he attacked
While the snake squirmed on its back.
Then as suddenly as it had begun
The mockingbird had had enough of his fun
And landing in a branch, on the fly,
Serenaded his mate, nesting nearby.
poem by Sidi J. Mahtrow
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Crane And The Snake
The crane spreads its wings
while the snake coils to strike
both have great agility
and flamboyance when they fight
The crane hops, the the snake slithers
they sleep at night, near soft flowing rivers
For days the crane plays
bopping its head
swaying it many ways
before standing on one leg
All white
and inocently pure
the snake sees this dance
as an enticing lure
The snake slithers nearer
to have a better view
all this is happening
under a morning mist and dew
But the cranes alert
she knows whats there
peeking out from the bush
under this damp air
The snake gets closer
close enough to strike
the crane blocks with his wing
and postures for a fight
But the snake backs of
smiling at the crane
while the crane stands on that one leg
smiling back just the same.
Charlie Vergara
06.14.2011
31147
poem by White Tiger
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Snake, The Fire and The Baby
Snake, the baby’s friend;
Fire the baby’s enemy
How the snake become baby’s friend
How the fire become baby’s enemy.
In one cold morning in the Nile valley
The mother put her baby beside the fire to get warm
And went to work on the farm.
The snake came, bitten the baby’s hand
Flinches, hide under log of firewood
The baby cried shrilly
The mother heard it, came and saw it hand bleeding
“Oouw, what hurt your hand? Mine! Mine!
“Fire! Mama! ” The baby answered
.The mother hipped her baby, went to healer
The snake heard what the baby said in it hideout,
It remorse for it vilest act
Hissed a expletive not to harm a baby forever
That’s why it play with babies without harm in Nile Valley,
Villages when their mothers are absent
The fire heard what the baby said.
And become furious of being scapegoat
For snake execrable luck in the world
And kindled expletive to harm the baby.
That’s why it burn baby hands everyday
When touch it red tongue.
poem by David Aoloch Bion
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Snake; an oracle of oath
The godless men worship the snake
The godless men take oath in name of snake
And the curse comes upon wrongdoer
The godless men take oath in the name of snake
And blessing rains upon the innocent
The godless men take oath in the name of snake
And snake bitten dead the lair
And snake spare life of the truer
Despite snake answers to godless men
No votive or thank given to snake, the god
So the stopped the men to swear
By it name, snake said men used
Thunder and fire for swearing instead of it name
As snake disowned the godless men
Hex fallen upon
poem by David Aoloch Bion
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
SnAkE oN mY bAcK
snake on the ground slithers. The plains scream out in fear, it slides onto my back and forces out my red tears. into my thought i can now see how foolishly i used to be. I remember the snake on my back and how i remember i should have fought back. The trees dance in scilence the fire now devoures the plains, the snake told me to forget my name. I threw the snake off my back with no sound forcefully it lay dead by the ground. Now i can feel the snake beneath my feet.
poem by Ben Sparaco
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
His mother is weeping
His mother is weeping
Near the lake several flowers were blooming.
Fragrance was in the air.
A cobra was lying near bush.
Beauty & ugliness lies at one place.
What a scenario was there?
A child comes near the lake
& starts to pluck some flowers for prayer
That snake bites him & he died at once there.
That snake was no other he was Mr Raj thakrey of Maharastra.
That child was a student of Bihar
who went to Mumbai for getting a small job for his livelihood.
His mother is weeping still now.
Have you any word to say her?
poem by Vijay Gupta
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Ballad Of Jingle Jangle Jim (Fun Poem 32)
This is the ballad of Jingle Jangle Jim,
the bravest man there has ever been.
Jingle Jangle was walking through a wooded jungle one day,
when from a bush he heard a maiden call out in distress.
‘Oooh there is a snake in the grass.’
Jingle Jangle being the brave sort,
just jumped over the bush to save the young lass.
He grabbed hold of the six-inch snake in the grass.
The biggest grass snake he ever saw.
He wrassled that snake here and there,
even got it in a scissor grip.
He grabbed it with both hands
and waved it about a bit more,
and then rolled repeatedly on the wooded jungle floor.
The poor little snake looked cross-eyed
at this Jingle Jangle twit.
‘Hey, you idiot, you could have killed me.
Now just what do you think you were doing? ’
Jingle Jangle looked at the snake for a minute.
‘Wait just a minute, snakes don’t talk.’
‘This one can and if you don’t put me down I’ll arrest you,
I‘m an undercover pygmy policeman you see.
I’m on a stake out to catch the thief
who has been stealing Farmer Giles,
beautiful, award winning blue-belles.
Now put me down you Jingle Jangle idiot,
or Ill arrest you for the said crime.’
Jingle Jangle dropped him right there.
The grass snake was as dizzy as hell.
He looked up at Jingle Jangle,
shook his little head.
’Farmer Giles can look after
his own precious bluebells
’cause I quite.
The story is not over just yet,
for Jingle Jangle Jim and the snake
did a moonlight flit
with all of Farmer Giles precious bluebells.
The moral of the story
is never ask a snake in the grass
to look after your precious bluebells.
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Snake Eye
You paint a picture
So its plain to see
Aint no hiding
No security
Ill be watching
Every move you make
When you hear the rattle
Better be awake
Chorus:
Snake eyes, Im watching
Snake eyes, look out
Snake eyes, its coming
Snake eyes, aint no escaping from the snake eye
(no way)
You leave a footprint
For my eye to see
Catch an echo
From a lock and key
From the shadow
Or behind a rock
Get you anywhere
From the darkest shack
Chorus
Hear a rustle
From behind a tree
Get you running
Home to sanctuary
Bolt the door and -
You think youre safe
Im coming to get you
Gonna reach out (? ? ? )
Chorus
Got the snake eyes, they call me a snake in the bush
Snake eyes, biting
Snake eyes, always watching
Snake eyes
Aint no escaping from the -
Just keep a lookout for the -
Snake eye
song performed by by AC-DC
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
A Boy And The Snake And The Tree That Cures...
a snake is bitten by another snake
it is bleeding and leaves and looks for a tree
to take some sap
for its own cure,
a boy sees what the snake is doing
waits and when the snake leaves
the boy bites the tree
to take the sap
the boy is cured of its long sickness
the tree had long been there near him
but it is the snake that points to him
the tree that can cure his own malady.
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Her true love
Her true love
She swooped on the snake and
Throw it in the air
Because it was creeping towards her baby
Who was lying under the shadow of a tree?
She was a laborer working on the road.
Suddenly she saw this snake nearby her baby.
She did not hesitate in attacking on the snake.
It may be dangerous for her life also
But she was thinking only for her baby’s life
not about her at that time.
I think that it is mother’s love
Which is not comparable to any one?
Mother’s love is great.
poem by Vijay Gupta
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
If I Ever Was a Snake
If I was a snake, my eyes would be green,
I would wander the land and look real mean.
If I was a snake, I'd know how to sting,
Despite all the trouble it would bring.
If I was a snake, I'd be red and gold,
I would slither and slather and eat my mice cold.
If I was a snake, I'd rattle my tail,
But I'd be polite and never go to jail.
If I was a snake, I'd slide on my tummy,
Hamsters and mice would be real yummy.
If I was a snake, I'd live on the ground,
Sleeping and snoring 'till I was found.
I would never learn how to rake,
If I ever was a snake.
poem by October Bradley
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Rattlesnakes look funny and... tasty.
- What a strange snake!
- Strange?
_________- It can shake
Its tail and make a loud
Noise!
_______- What are you telling about?
- A snake, it looks like a big sausage!
I shook it out of my luggage
When I heard it. It’s gorgeous!
- First of all it’s dangerous!
You’ve shaken me up because
Every rattlesnake can cause
Bad problems.
_____________- A snake with a rattle. How
Funny!
_______- Funny? Don’t be stupid. Now
Let’s think what to do with it.
_______________________- I’d
Like to taste this snake fried.
poem by Konstantin Ananin
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Agenda
In a brief briefings
We the animals and me
Assemble to corner the evils
the deer give a motion, from now on
we will not kill others and ban eating their flesh
but toad with its big head stands up and says,
we can eat everything but not grass think please about us,
snake puts up its hood and supports the toad as this fits its own agenda,
peacock with glee puts its hands up too and says lets us pass quickly the bill,
so that we can kill and make a feast out of their flesh and the peacock's first prey in front of me
is the snake, I am ashamed of the act that I can not protect the snake, from now then I hate myself.
poem by Abdul Wahab
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Snake Around Your Heart
I was so blind to the snake around your heart.
So child like in the morning light you lay.
I kissed your cheek, hugged you and prayed.
A changeling whispered back love you too.
I placed you on the heart strings of my bow.
Shot you out into the star scattered sky.
Forty-Four days and nights to make the boy a man.
God fought a demon, did it in thirty.
I plucked the string I did my part
I was betrayed by you and the snake around your heart.
You cast unholy, this quest we cannot play.
Childhood dies with all its toys left to fray
In red plastic bins and unwanted shoes.
Dark and dust, there are places a heart cannot go.
Spiderling on your dead Mother's web don't cry
Forty-four days and more, like sand
the days slip through my hands so dirty.
Luna Mother Goddess rip out my human heart.
I was cursed by you and the snake around your heart
I have four letter words I can say.
Pray, hope, and love to lay
on the moss covered altars of Feralas too.
Your snake sleeps in Sodom so low.
She shimmers in gold like a flesh sucking fly.
Forty- four days and more, I make my stand.
Cealuem priest I cry out for healing three times thirty
I was deceived by you and the snake around your heart
Oh fallen warrior in the great Forge I will stay.
Refine me Gods through trial I pray.
You think I have not loved your immoral soul too.
I loved and then let you go.
Your snake will eat your heart and say good-bye
Forty-four days and years the wind has blow in my hair strands
Experience I see knowledge in its purity
The minutes of time will do its part.
poem by Joni Moosman
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Mugudai
snake man on
road
sounded pipe
music sound
on the spot snake was dance
again...
people are clapping
snake man sad with hungry
snake will bee a dance...
pipe (mugudai) sound
poem by Otteri Selvakumar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Song: XI
Mother, mother, do you not hear?
Mother, they come; there is news to tell!
– Give me your hands, my daughter dear:
'Tis but a ship that saileth well.
Mother dear, have a care, give heed!
–They go, my daughter, away they speed.
Mother, the danger is sore, alas!
– Child, my child, it will quickly pass.
Mother, mother, She draweth near!
– It is down in the harbour, daughter dear.
Mother, mother, She opens the door!
– Child, they go, to return no more.
Mother, She enters! I am afraid!
– Child, they now have the anchor weighed.
Mother, I hear Her speaking low.
– Child, my child, it is they that go.
Mother, She makes the stars go dark!
– Child, 'tis the sails of a shadowy bark.
Mother, She knocks at the casement still!
– Child, maybe it is fastened ill. . . .
Mother, mother, my sight grows dim. . . .
– Child, they sail for the open sea.
On every hand I can hear but Him. . . .
– O child, what is it, and who is He?
poem by Maurice Polydore-Marie-Bernard Maeterlinck
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Kissing the Fang
Snake biting once biting dead
Snake biting twice biting life
Walking in the sorghum stalk
The oldest foe- the snake heard my feet
The snake raised the neck and hissed
As our eyes met at equilibrium
I stopped and drew my spear
The hateful send boiled to the brim
The brawl commenced I speared it back fatefully
The snake bitten my right feet fatefully
The biting bit me dead I fell down breathing not
The snake bitten my left feet again.
The biting bit me life I raised up breathing lively
The snake snaked away
The venom paralyzed me but
I giddily crawled after the snake
I gasped and kissed the snake fang
I spate the healing saliva in the snake wound
We departed in peace-indeed peace in death
poem by David Aoloch Bion
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!