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Open Poetry #19
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Snake in the Grass
| Open Poetry #19 |
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Snake in the Grass |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Barely five foot tall and nearly as wide My Granny holds fast in my memory We kids all spent the summer with her My brother and cousins and me I remember the way she braided my hair So tight it hurt my head to smile She told me it would hold better that way ‘cause I tended to run around wild She walloped us when we were bad Though we said our moms never would She didn’t care, she said, as we cried Someone’s gotta teach you to be good! One summer Granny was mad as heck Seems a snake ate the eggs being laid Then he retreated to the old maple tree And took his nap there in the shade Granny fumed and tried to catch him But he outwitted her at every turn So we, the cousins, decided to help Hoping praise was what we’d earn So we followed the snake from the coop As he glided, his belly full and fat We made so much noise he got spooked And ended up in Granny’s summer hat It lay by the side of the rickety porch Waiting for her to stroll into the sun Behind our fingers we giggled and squirmed Wondering what was to be done The screen door creaked open and we saw Our Granny, handbag on her arm She yelled she was taking a sweet cherry pie To the family who lived on the next farm Without looking she reached down for her hat And plunked it on top of her head Our eyes bugged out, we fell to the ground Now the snake had a head for a bed When Granny returned she kept her hat on As she cooked us our evening meal We watched every moment, every little twitch Thinking this couldn’t be real She kept that darn hat right there on her head Til it got dark and was time for lights out She tucked us all in, with a long nightly prayer As our Granny was very devout. the door closed and we jumped from the beds huddling close to the door to the hall We waited for hours to hear Granny shout But we heard not a peep, heard nothing at all Next morning we woke still on the floor by the door And hurried to the kitchen to eat Granny had fixed a breakfast for a king Pancakes and bacon and syrup so sweet The hat hung on the hook by the door Granny said not a word ‘bout that snake We ran out to play in the morning sun To discuss the next move we would make By lunch we’d talked till we couldn’t think About nothing but the snake in the hat Wondering what Granny did with that thing And wondering where it was at Granny came out to gather the eggs Amid squawks from the hens in the pen We heard her yell out, ‘that darn snake!” ‘he’s eaten them all, he’s at it again!” We ran to the maple to see the snake there Snoozing like he had not a care Amazed that our Granny had let him live After riding around on top of her hair. as we readied our prayers for the night I asked why she had let the snake live She said that he only made her mad When he took what wasn’t his But as he slept on top of her head She remembered the barn rats last fall The snake ate his fill of those rodents So he wasn’t such a bad snake after all Choose your battles wisely she said And make every man your friend You never know when the snake in the grass Will turn out to be a good friend. |
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| © Copyright 2002 Poet deVine - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Duncan Member Ascendant
since 2001-08-07
Posts 5455 |
Grandmothers hold a special place in my heart and I very much appreciated your story. Mine was a character too, though a snake would have been her undoing! |
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Bridget Shenachie Senior Member
since 2002-01-23
Posts 1056Kansas USA |
Dear Poet, There's a lot of wisdom in this good ole country poem. It was a very entertaining read. Thanks for sharing! Did this really happen!?! Snakes scare me! Shenachie |
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Poet deVine
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-26
Posts 22612Hurricane Alley |
Thank you!!! Like most of my poetry, this is fictional. But I did have a 'Granny'..that's what we called her anyway. And she did braid my hair too tight..sigh. And I wasn't her favorite because I wouldn't sit still and be good, I was always into something or asking too many questions.  |
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peaches73533 Senior Member
since 2001-11-04
Posts 981OK, USA |
Even though this is fictional, it's wonderful.A great story that held my interest from beginning to end.Nicely done. Peaches |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
A very entertaining tale, PDV... and you've told it well. *S* (but I'm still skeered of snakes *G*) |
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
very enjoyable although I hate to think that sometimes one who masks as a friend may also be that snake in the grass...*s |
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Startime Member Ascendant
since 2000-10-03
Posts 5918Canada |
 I LOVE IT!! I LOVE IT...What a perfect delight to read this morning...BRAVO!!!**big hugs**  Love I leave with you whether it is in your life now or yet the essense of your dreams. |
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Dulcinea Senior Member
since 2001-07-22
Posts 774IN |
*Laughing* I can't remember when I enjoyed a poetic fable more! This was grand! |
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Lost Dreamer Member Elite
since 1999-06-20
Posts 2464Somewhere near the Rainbow |
This was fabulous, you had my mind captured through it all, and the ending has such a wonderful message. Thank you for enlightening my day. |
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Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
I love this!! How entertaining! Great write here Sharon. Thoroughly enjoyed the read today. ~Hugs, Nancy~ ~Time has cast a spell on you, |
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Sven
since 1999-11-23
Posts 14937East Lansing, MI USA |
yes. . . a modern fable. . . I like this. . . great job. . . -------------------------------------------------------- To the world, you may only be one person. But to one person, you may be the world. |
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hoot_owl_rn Member Patricius
since 1999-07-05
Posts 10750Glen Hope, PA USA |
Choose your battles wisely she said And make every man your friend You never know when the snake in the grass Will turn out to be a good friend. better wisdom could not be had anywhere |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
PoetdeVine~ Delightful read ... lots of wisdom tucked in the giggles~ *Hugs* ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ |
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Titia Geertman Member Ascendant
since 2001-05-07
Posts 5182Netherlands |
WOW love this 'lesson'. I enjoyed every word of it, great tale. Titia A rose is a rose is a rose...I guess... |
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