I watched one day

a snake
slinking, sleek
smoothly sliding forward
golden and black patterned back glinting in the sun
ebony slits for eyes
slender body zigzagged
in the aesthetics of nature.


I watched one day

a snail,
laggard, lethargic
ungainly, bearing burdensome shell
plain, near-revolting squishy brown thing
tentacle- like eyes
vulnerable mass trailing gooey slime
in the creepy-crawliness of nature.


And I thought
of a snake’s quicker than lightning venomous fangs,
deadly poison.
of a snail’s soft and sticky mandibles,
harmless fluids.

And I called the snail BEAUTIFUL
And said,
“You UGLY snake!”