stained a dark
purple, the parch of a
cast out hole--plastered
with scales.
a serpent stiff as a staff,
lither than the cookery of
of mid made noon, made
desert.
got drunk on poison spit.
wintered ethers that clapped
warmth out of its trance.
gliding down & up mountains,
while memorizing skies--dumb
to total blankness.
dark on course with purple,
purple on course with dark.
by default, there is no clever
line for a serpent.
where it is impelled to inhabit it
again.
as a shed skin.
& ex-pire.
though it does.