Rainbow Serpent

On a night of days the serpent came

“Come look at this!” dad called

Excited

I ran downstairs

— — — downstairs, outside

An oil slick was in the bush

Dark hues of rainbows

The serpent came

He spoke to me

Nothing but “shh”

-

Three snakes now

One red black

One yellow black further back

And a green shying away

As red bit at the rainbows neck

-

Writhing on the ground they went

“No!” came my naive cry

Pulling on the tail

of the foe for fear the god may die

But blink and now the roles reverse

Red was gone

Swallowed

Lost

And rainbow now grown

a boa constrictor

went on his way

“Wait! Come back” his tail I now pulled

But strong are gods

And weak are fools

-

Three scales he left me

Colour gone

Translucent gems on that night of days

I awoke from the dream where the serpent came