Viper's Nest
My Apologies to Those Bitten
Inside my mouth lives a nest full of vipers
They wriggle and writhe
Angry and impatient
Waiting to be let loose
I've tried and tried
To train them and temper them
To keep them calm and quiet
Asleep
But when I open my mouth
One always seems to slip through
Lacing my words
Meant to be clever or funny
With unintended venom
I see the shock of their victims
The pain in their eyes
As the poison seeps in
And I try in vain to stop it's spread
Hoping to suck it back out
Before it gets to their hearts
But as it finds rest in their bosom
My chest burns with the same
Poison
Sometimes I manage to catch it
Just before it slips through my teeth
I swallow it quickly
Then it twists and tumbles
Down in my belly
Angry and trapped
It releases its venom
Inside me
Burning my entrails
And searing my veins
As I toss and turn
Unable to sleep
Wishing I'd just let it loose
But also knowing
I shouldn't
I can't
Because the poison inside me
Hurts so much less
Than it does when it turns
Another's heart
Cold
About the Creator
A. J. Schoenfeld
I only write about the real world. But if you look close enough, you'll see there's magic hiding in plain sight everywhere.
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Comments (13)
I can't believe I missed this the first time around. I love the viper imagery. Very well done, AJ! And don't worry, I'm going to report the plagiarized version also--the more of us who report it, the more likely they'll do something about it.
This guy plagiarized your story and he has been reported to vocal https://shopping-feedback.today/critique/desolation-row-yidyw0j83%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/span%3E%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3C/div%3E%3Cdiv class="css-w4qknv-Replies">
Meant to be clever or funny.... WOW This totally resonates. Those dang vipers! lol
Very well written, congrats 👏
I can really feel the inner war between holding back and letting go here. Congrats on your Top Story too!
that's amazing
Great post,
This is lush!
Powerful masterpiece truly eye opening I subscribed and I hope you can tell me what you think of my newest poem it's short! 💖💖
Love this, it rings too true. Projection of our shadow. I LOVE this image.. it's absolutely stunning!!!
This. Is. too damn relatable, AJ. I have had similar issues in the past. Especially not meaning something to sound bad, it still manages it! Well done!
So good, AJ
Great entry. Wonderful poem. I never thought of a slip of the tongue as venom. However, very creative and nicely Done AJ