I hate stepping on hot coals.
I try to avoid them,
but it takes a lot of energy and persistence.
I thought eventually a callus would form,
that way my feet would be numbed from the burn.
Turns out, that's not how the body works.
When again can I walk down a sidewalk,
instead of the burning path to hell?  

*the serpent slithers away into the darkness,
knowledge gained, and is ready to fire