I am a snake-
Some call me a venomous rattler.
Seething with anguish,
I slither in the sand.
There is no water in this tepid desert.
I foresee no oasis.
There is no liquid to quench
My insatiable thirst.
A mirage has become a liar to me.
I am a venomous rattling snake.
I squirm beneath the torridity of
This desert’s noon sun.
Fearful of all who encounter me,
I am a frightening source to others.
I am a snake – terrified, and defensive.
I lash out to all who approach me.
I am a rattler, who dwells in the Kalahari,
Amongst the natives known as
The” no kneed Bushmen”-who pay games of
Catch with the rising and the setting sun.
Hunted down,
A poisonous arrow spears me.
Slithering more and more slowly within the brush,
I know that I am on the descent towards hell.
My heart weakens, and ceases to beat.
As life slowly escapes me,
My spirit evades me,
As I writhe in emotional agony.
Claudia Krizay
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem