Ess Turns Poem by Bill Galvin

A solitary snake is sunning itself
On a flattish stone at the side of my trail.
Of course, I didn't spot it soon enough;
But a single stripe set down each side
Suggests it's harmlessness,
As I am snatched from silent reveries,
Too fast to stop, too slow to skid,
And my steps suddenly stagger,
So as not to squish the sensitive soul;
When it is startled, too,
And starts swiftly across my path,
Serpentine style, undulating smoothly,
A shifting S-shape sliding sideways,
Seeking the security of the underbrush.

We pass, each to the other, assuredly…
A serendipitous sighting.

6-15-2016