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
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Related quotes
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
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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
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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
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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
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dream-The Snake
The snake was held
In another's hand.
Kill it I said,
Before it strikes.
The other struggled
With it
And could not contain
The head.
Beware it will
Strike you.
Get its head
Before it bares
Its fangs.
The snake seemed
Weak.
I rushed in
And pulverized
Its head,
Before it had
A chance to raise
It.
The sight of its
Limp body
Helped me to relax.
It cannot harm
Me now
That red headed
Snake
I've fixed
It.
poem by Mary Mc Creath
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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
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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
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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
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Snake
BUT, Snake, you must not come where we abide,
For you would tempt us; we should hear you say:
'Oh, somewhere was a world was cold and spare,
And voiceless; somewhere was a Being was not
Engrossed with substance, with no fervencies
Of love and hatred, and he made me, Snake!
The wise Elohim, they who made the rest
Of Creatures, made them ail-too manifold
Mortised and rampired, jointed, vascular;
And I was put an alien in their world,
All head, all spine, all limb, all loin,
Swift as a bird and single as a fish.'
Above you fruits unglanced at bend and glow,
And, bare and voiceless, you do tempt us, Snake!
poem by Padraic Colum
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A Bird that lives forever
A geless and deathless Paliel vulture
One of African vulture species that
Lives in jonglei region of Sudan
Lives beyond any bird life span
When it bird life span finish
It stops to eat and drink
It plumes plummeted naturally
Until it come skinny
It start to metamorphoses
The beak, the legs grow soft fleshy
The body transform into battled slender creature
The two legs become small soft tails
The two wings become small fins
It gradually become an African youngest cobra
And again goes on living as snake beyond
Any snake lifespan in jonglei region.
When it become old, aile and about to die
It stops to eat and drink
It flake it dry scally-skin off
And become skinny
If fang fallen off
It two fins, tails project wings and legs
It grow plumes and feathers
It gradually grow until it
Become bird and fly up again
Paleil, dodge death by
Oldness in bird to youngness in snake
Oldness in snake to youngness bird
The catchyphrase!
Paleil lives forever in recuryring metamorphosis
poem by David Aoloch Bion
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Snakepit
when you find yourself
inside a snake pit
you can not just be naive
to be bitten and even
swallowed by another
snake
you become a snake
yourself and bite
as many as you can
this is the law of the
survival of the fittest snake
and when you emerge
as the victor
go back to your form
coy dove, white feathers,
lovely beak
gentle claws
poem by Ric S. Bastasa
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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SnakeSkin
Now it seems
You were the snake
That I was
Trying to protect you from-
The snake with
The deadliest venum ever!
The snake that would cross
The line and never come
Back again!
The snake that would
Bite itself
The snake that would
Bite me!
For trying to
Protect it from itself!
poem by Dorsey Baker
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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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
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Proximate Words Of Good And Evil
Hamartia is an umbrella
It covers the head of the snake
A snake that bites the hand that feeds it
A snake by any name
Sin or sins it shelters both
The road more traveled or the road less so
We do not stop to notice
Or to inspect
The snake has followed
Our every step
Sheltered by its covenant with God
His head is neither wet by rain or sweat
For he has no earthly cares
As Hamartia is an umbrella
That covers his transgressions
The ultimate protagonist
He hisses his prayers
With a little dropp of poison
To sweeten the deal he will contract
With you and you and you
As for the others it has long since been too late….
poem by Ted Sheridan
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Ay De Mi
O bird, that used to press,
Thy head against my cheek
With touch that seem'd to speak,
And ask a tender 'yes' -
Ay de mi, my bird:
Ay de mi, my bird, my bird -
Ay de mi, my bird.
O tender downy breast,
And warmly beating heart,
That beating seem'd a part
Of me who gave it rest -
Ay de mi, my bird:
Ay de mi, my bird, my bird -
Ay de mi, my bird.
poem by George Eliot
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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The slithering snake and the cat
The slithering snake
Crept loudly towards it's prey
The cat ran away
The snake Didn't have much fun
The sad snake went back to home
poem by Micheal Scott
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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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
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Illusion and ignorance
To mistake a rope for a snake
Or to mistake a snake for a rope
Is illusion in perception.
To take a rope for rope and
A snake for snake is knowledge.
To take a rope not for a rope
And a snake not for a snake
Is ignorance. We employ
All the three at variant times
At different degrees in life.
29.042010
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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To a Sleeping Child
Lips, lips, open!
Up comes a little bird that lives inside
Up comes a little bird, and peeps, and out he flies.
All the day he sits inside, and sometimes he sings,
Up he comes, and out he goes at night to spread his wings.
Little bird, little bird, whither will you go?
Round about the world, while nobody can know.
Little bird, little bird, whither do you flee?
Far away around the world, while nobody can see.
Little bird, little bird, how long will you roam?
All round the world and around again home;
Round the round world, and back through the air,
When the morning comes, the little bird is there.
Back comes the little bird and looks and in he flies,
Up wakes the little boy, and opens both his eyes.
Sleep, sleep, little boy, little bird’s away,
Little bird will come again, by the peep of day;
Sleep, little boy, the little bird must go
Round about the world, while nobody can know.
Sleep, sleep sound, little bird goes round,
Round and round he goes; sleep, sleep sound.
poem by Arthur Hugh Clough
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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1. The Real Snake Is Twisting In The Mouth
poor snake
life is equal so god says
but look at the snake
look at the snake..
it cant even walk
but slithers and always
at the lowest of place
and everywhere
the message is
it's evil, culprit of the Great Fall
everything the snake
lowly humbly takes
cane, blows and all
you can swing it, you can stretch it
you can bend it in any angle
because it's just a snake
there is a snake too
barely two inches long
yet it's the most pliable of them all
and that's the real one
where the first divine
curse should go
guarded all round
in a red glowing ruby palace
and gleaming pillars of enamel
the cunning and sly creature
in all smugness and warmth
could never get enough of the world
sweet, sour, bitter, salty, hot or cold
it could make satan of god
and god of satan and turn
the world upside down
without even having to leave home
effortless, treacherous as the Niagara Falls
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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