He slithered up next me, a snake
looking for something to squeeze
and I thought I would choke
on the overwhelming odor of his lechery.
He was too close, always too close,
and I wish he had a rattle
to warn me of his presence.
He whispered in my ear,
his breath like hot sand,
gritty on my neck.
Was I wearing a thong?
Because my ass was jiggling.
His words were like neurotoxic venom
and I couldn’t move, couldn’t reach out,
grab him by the throat and stop
the flicking of his sordid tongue.
What could I do, standing there
frozen with indignation and shame?
What could I do, standing there
in the office of customer relations
where this man had the wrong idea
of what relations meant?
The poison made me laugh
when I wanted to cry.
It made me turn away
when I wanted to look him
in his leering eye and
tell him to fuck off.
I never understood why
Eve got all the blame,
while the serpent and man
devoured the flesh,
dropping naked cores behind them
as they slithered away.
Serpent
