#16

the snake was cursed to crawl and swallow dust
when god found out its role as eve's deceiver
before the fall the serpent's lifestyle must
have been more pleasant and its diet sweeter

some think it floated on a purple cloud
propelled by little lilac scented toots
it wafted softly 'twixt the leafy boughs
and sampled all the fresh and fragrant fruits

others say the savage serpent gripped
its tail between its teeth and rolled about
emitting flames and heavy metal riffs
consuming lighting bolts and peeling out

we'll have to figure this one out ourselves
old moses might have known but didn't tell


(Here is a link to chapter 3 of the Book of Genesis -- also known as the First Book of Moses, who is understood to have written some or all of it. The diet and locomotion of the serpent is not specified prior to God's curse in verse 3:14. Far be it from me to leave well enough alone.)

(A snake with its tail in its mouth generally suggests the Ouroboros, an ancient symbol of the cyclical and infinite nature of something or other. The snake described in the third stanza of this sonnet is more like the legendary hoop snake, which holds its tail in its mouth so it can wheel about in pursuit of prey.)