Poetry

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The viper
gripped his hand
and he could've
dropped dead...
...Instead
he just
shook it off;
He just
calmly
shook it off.

The islanders
reasoned he
was evil
because
it bit him,
but then they
re-reasoned
he was a god
because he
was still alive,
but he just
shook his head
and then
he shook...
shook it off.

Walking along
a concrete path
I felt the
vibration
of a hanger
underfoot
So
I just took
a big step up
and then
a wide step out
from the coil
banging against
the side of my
leather
shoe.

Many paces away
I turned around
to gaze
on that wiry
entanglement
I had
just overcame
but to
my amazement
it was a snake
flickering its
two-pronged
tongue at me
as if it was
fire.

But I
- just me -
I
peacefully
turned my back
and continued on
to my
destination.
I just
shook it off.
Like Paul
on Malta,
I shook it off
as it slithered away
into the bladed
green fray.

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