A Snake's Defense

By Chris Commodore©2023

There was a lass who chose me for a pet.
My space safeguarded with a wire net.
Each day, she’d free a luckless sorry mouse,
Then bid me stalk the beast about the house.

One morning I was out on such a hunt,
That wily critter on me pulled a stunt.
It scurried up the kitchen counter top.
As if my escapade its jump would stop.

I followed it waiting for time to pounce,
When suddenly, a profound shriek announced:
“O Lord, my God; a mouse is in my house!”
Next thing I know, out swearing comes Jill Crouse.

Before her mother noticed where I was,
She crossly chewed me out, she said because:
“You left your hiding place behind the wall;
And now you’re scaring mom here in the hall.”

“O stop chastising Jill, give me a break;
You left my suite wide open, for Pete’s sake.
If she can such a chilling alarm make,
Would she have died, if she had seen a snake?”

Most humans think a snake's a hellish fiend.
But you, poor child of Eve, think I am your friend.
Why not a dog or cat, unwary child?
Instead, you pick me from the forest far and wild.

If you’d take time to look, you’d surely see,
I never smile wherever I may be.
At other times, just listen and you’d hear,
I make no noise when I move far or near.

My venom and my fangs assure my food.
For safety and protection, it’s all good.
I’m not the killer world-wide you will find,
Who stockpile weapons just to kill my kind.

I never did to you a false claim make,
I always make it clear that I'm a snake.
Your choice it was to choose to cuddle me,
Ignoring thoughts of events that could be.

Around the world, back to the river Nile,
Most humans label serpents reptiles vile,
Their mindset made up from Eve’s Bible tale;
A rubber snake still renders humans pale.

Some serpents sport a noisy rattling tail,
So humans about snakes spread sleazy tales.
No matter whether live or whether fake,
Be careful child; don’t live by Eve’s mistake.

The colors that I sport are for your sake,
To help you avoid errors you may make.
Don’t pick me up, think I am sleek and cute,
And then to label me a vicious brute.