Misplaced Mercy Poem by Alem Hailu Gabre Kristos

While walking
In his garden
One morning fine
Seeing a snake
He felt fear
Galloping down
His spine.
As a
Camouflaging trick
Attired a green silk
While zigzagging in
The grass thick
He should have
Squashed its skull
With a walking stick.
But he preferred
To walk away
"Let it there stay
I better
Keep it at bay."

When he
Came back home
At night
He learnt he has
Lost his son
That suffered
A snake's bite.

Misplaced mercy
Could backfire
To seek peace
With the snake
One must not tire,
For it will drag one
Into a quagmire
Obligating paying
A price higher.

Ask for mercy
An offender can't
It is also not right
Unless s/he
Is repentant.

Also forget not
"Strike before
You are struck! "
Could afford one
Prowess luck.

If
The aforementioned
Advice you got,
"Hit when
The iron is hot."

Modesty to
The heinous
And lazy
Is equally crazy.

If a human snake
Buy time
No doubt it will
Will commit
Further crime.