you lay
curled
and coiled
as a snake
on the pavement
hot as the sun
rising
or a light
so strong that
it blinds me
breaks me
all to pieces
in the face
of you and
your slick-skinned
tongue
sharp as a
serpent
thk thk thk’ing
on the ground
thk thk thk’ing
out back
out where
my feet keep
moving
forward
pulling me
straight into
your rattling
skat tat tat tatling
reaches
like a mouse
like a small
oblivious
little beast
scuttling
towards certain
death
a sad
criminal
sort of game
that we just
can’t
stop playing