The Serpent Poem by Zoe Guillory

He slithers menacingly across the floor,
hissing through his teeth.
Your skin crawls as quickly as he glides,
making your heart skip around.
His eyes rest upon you.
A voice in your head: WILL HE STRIKE?
You assume that the answer is yes,
but he turns his disproportional head
away from you, letting you rest
for only a moment. NOT RIGHT NOW,
the adder seemed to mutter,
though you know-you hope-
that it was your imagination.
BUT, I WILL BE BACK.