Venom

by John Enright

Spitting venom,
Spewing vomit,
Overstuffed diamondbacks
Glisten with pain.

Listen to what the snakes sing:

"We are great critics,
Great critics are we.
Come lie among us
And then you will see

That good things
Are bad things,
And bad things
Are good.

Forget what you once loved,
And love what you should!

Your natural feelings
Will soon be erased.
Don't worry about it.
They'll all be replaced
With a much more acute sense of taste."

Spitting venom,
Spewing vomit,
Overstuffed diamondbacks
Writhe in the sun.

Happy are they
Who just stay away
When the snakes
Sing their songs
One by one.