The Hissing Serpent Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

“No one likes me, why? ” A serpent
Went to the Lord, one day, to repent
And asked Him for a suggestion
To come out of this situation.

“Don’t bite any more, ” said the Lord
And the serpent did so, as it was told.
The frogs started playing on its head.
Children took it by its tail and tossed.

The torture, it faced, was unbearable,
And its life became still more miserable.
“My Lord, your orders I obeyed,
But day by day it’s painful, ” it cried.

“Not to bite, it’s true, I told,
But not to “Hiss”, I never told.”
The Lord gave it this clue.
And went beyond the sky blue.

The serpent, from that day,
“Hiss” it begins to say
To any trespasser on its way
Just to frighten him away.