The Freedom Snake
A long, muscular,
poisonous snake
lay coiled in a corner of a cell
under a small Window.
The prisoner entered the shadowy cell.
When he saw the snake
his heart began to race,
his breath tightened,
sweat pooled out of every skin cell,
and his eyes glazed with anguish and despair.
A cruel punishment—
to be locked in a small cell
with this creature.
Could he move even an inch?
How long could he last?
Would he ever sleep again?
His mind twisted and turned in 10,0000 convulsions
While trying to keep the snake in his sight,
And in his awareness,
Hour after hour after hour
Through the long night.
It became too painful.
Exhausted,
And with dawn’s light emerging at the window,
He decided to approach the snake
To end this desperate game.
Indeed,
Coming closer
With clearer vision
He realized—
The Snake was a Rope.
KT Rusch 2007