sssssssnakeaphobe

saw my first snake in the yard yesterday. i was walking across the grass and my girl pointed it out.

there it goes!

and i turned, to see a little racing striped garder snake (perhaps one of the only snakes i know by sight, since the last time i saw one he was snaking past my platforms and i screamed. the man with me said,

it's just a garder, it won't hurt you).

but the way the neighbor whose a snakeaphobe found a shovel and came after it.

but it won't hurt you,

i said.

my daughter behind me saying,

don't let him kill it.

what if it gets in your house and crawls across you.

and the image, while delightful in a sense, would surely freak me out, as much as i would like to live kinnel's everyone was in love poem, the idea of being ssssnaken from ssssleep is not one i covet.

the chief appears, as i had ssssummoned him at the ssssnakeaphobe's request.

did you get it?

(couldn't gauge his angle on it. he's told me about snakes here, but not with the phobic intensity of this neighbor, whose fear nearly passed to me, but i'm strong and naive. an effective tonic against the right things, or wrong, depending on your angle.)

nope, it's back in your yard.

my daughter and i trying to mask our rooting for the snake to sneak away. it really isn't my place to say who kills what around here, but i would think tribal people would be less about the kill. maybe i'm just being a shit. probably.

but the chief turns to me and says,

why don't you go get a towel and lay out?

in his dry humor, which i find incredibly funny, except at the moment.

i get it.

i said.

so, no more sprawling on the grass. i use a beach lounge now. i know, i don't take anything seriously enough. but ask anyone, i take everything too seriously, so how can those two exclusives co-exist? i do not know.

work was good yesterday. the artist and i bicker like siblings. we enjoy each other's company, and he read my poem.

i was right there with you, in the snow.

yes,

i said.

i know it's a good poem. and i have to prepare for my reading at the residency. i only have three minutes, but i better make them the best damn, solid three minutes of my life so far.

what to read. what to read. i'm tempted to read something new, but i think with the time constraints and fresh blood, i'll read some old standards. why the hell not?

work relatively soon, i have to go to the gym.