Suppose He Were A Snake

Suppose this certain boy were a snake.
Would he unhinge massive jaws,
swallow me in one quick gulp?
Would I be stuck inside his slim body
until I suffocated under his skin?

Suppose he were a king cobra.
I would run my hands along his leathery skin
and it would be smooth.
But to reverse my touch in the opposite direction
would raise the roughness of his prickly scales.

Suppose he were a rattle snake,
whose tail would jangle as he wriggled past me,
clueing me in to his deception
so I might have some small chance of escape
from his deadly ways.

Or a viper
with curved vampire fangs
dripping with acid venom,
ready with a terminal strike,
to seep into my blood stream.

Or a boa constrictor
who would coil his slick body around me
and tighten himself until I choked on my words.
And as I struggled in panic,
his grip would restrict me even more.

Suppose he opened his mouth
and engulfed me completely.
Suppose he rubbed the needle of his skin against me
and drew blood with his touch.
Suppose he tried to fool me
even though his intentions were obvious.
Suppose he pounced, teeth bared,
and infiltrated me with dark liquid pain.
Suppose he hugged me and wouldn't let go,
embraced me until I couldn't breathe.

And suppose I let him.

Jenna Harris

If you've any comments on this poem, Jenna Harris would be pleased to hear from you.