Dark Snake Of My Heart

Dark Snake Of My Heart
© Surazeus
2024 07 29

Dark snake that slithers in gold grass is mine, 
deadly thoughts gleaming with poisonous hope, 
so I play haunting melody of love 
on ancient flute, carved from frail dragon bone 
by first mother who rose from lake of dreams, 
to wake her spirit in play of my brain. 

Bundling sage in clump of desperate fear, 
I burn dry sorrow with flame of desire, 
then dance in gold grass with my eyeless snake 
to remove strange negative energy 
while chanting wordless spells of ardent faith 
that connect my heart to dream of the Earth. 

Feisty woman, who first invents the door 
to hide strange beauty of the morning sky, 
caresses my cheek with serpentine hand, 
and whispers riddles hidden in the breeze 
that carries scent of the river to me 
so I name dark snake writhing in my hand. 

My mother becomes old hills draped in snow 
so I become the wall that no one sees 
when people gather in my empty house 
to hide from thunderstorm of sudden change, 
yet each time I open the door of time 
the same willow tree waves to me with joy. 

Standing every day on the signless road, 
I give apples to each soul passing by, 
and they give me coin stamped with face of God 
who hides in gold grass where I fear to tread 
because I want to be friends with the dead 
so they will explain mystery of true love. 

After I write poems on paper with blood 
they escape my hand as red butterflies 
chased by ghost children in fields of gold grass 
where dark snake of my heart guards them from death 
so I gesture with my sun-freckled hand 
though stars disappear from my empty eyes. 

Dark snake of my heart with the face of God 
opens her eyes so the dawn sun can rise 
and fill my doorless house with singing ghosts 
who lead me past statue of the sad girl 
so when I stand on the wild ocean shore 
I forge gold ring of truth from swirling waves. 

When I return to secret cave of dreams, 
I find the small child who sprang from my heart 
painting image of me on wall of stone, 
then she smiles at me with eyes bright with hope, 
so I teach her how to chant magic spells 
to make dark snake of the weird world her own.