See the bulbous body slither
through the rocks on the desert floor.
Is he dangerous you ask?
Society long ago learned
that he has no friends,
only providers.
The venom he carries in his mouth
is a quick acting poison that kills.
His victims are many.
How do you handle such a demon?
Enclose him in glass walls
so he can be displayed
Carefully note with words,
pictures and sounds
the evil that he has caused.
The rattlesnake's name?
Sharon, or Arafat, or (?)
See the bulbous body slither through the rocks on the desert floor. This is one of God's creatures to be avoided. He has just devoured the hopes of a peaceful life for a number of small innocents. And now he seeks a place in the sun to warm his cold body and perhaps give those about him the illusion of peace and tranquility.
Is he dangerous you might ask? Stretched to his full length of some five and half feet and with his beady eyes closed you can approach as close as you like and some have actually touched his scaley skin. "Only a mother could love," is the term that comes to mind. But wait, this throwback to Adam and Eve's days in the garden is truly evil personified. He tempts by offering something that he does not have, and only after the bargain is struck do those who have been participants in his schemes find that only he wins.
Society long ago learned that he has no friends, only providers. He will as gladly bite the hand that feeds him as any other. Doing so with no remorse, for you see this creature of the sands, has no mind. He reacts by instinct; strike and kill, that is his only way of life. It has served him well. In past times he has mesmerized those about him, causing them to believe that he is their "friend." Sadly, they discover that this aged rattlesnake of some sixty or so years, has no other interest than his own.
The venom that he carries in his mouth is a quick acting poison that kills. It matters not whether it be some small innocent desert creature, or one of his own. He must be fed and song birds, insects, mice, rabbits and even those of his own species, he readily devours. How else do you explain his ability to survive? He is a killer without remorse.
"But how do you handle such a demon?" you ask. A sage once replied when asked how to dismount from a tiger's back. His reply, "very carefully." And that is how you must deal with this loathsome serpent. There is a religious element, the snake handlers, who see him as a tool of their religion. Foolishly, they believe that his actions are to their benefit. It is only when their own children are destroyed as a consequence of his striking out, that they may come to sense the pain and agony of others that are his victims. No, appeasement is not a solution. He must be isolated. Killing him is not an answer either, as another will just as likely emerge from his den and assume the same antisocial ways.
Enclose him in glass walls so that he can be displayed, and carefully note with words, pictures and sounds the evil that he has caused. In this way, our children will come to appreciate the devil's handiwork. They must not fear the snake, he in fact is harmless once drained of his venom. But protect the innocents from his marauding, for within a short time his sacks will be refilled with poison and he will strike again, if not contained.
The rattlesnake's name? Sharon or Arafat, or(?)
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