her lips stretch
to show sharp fangs,
dripping with venom
and
her throat palpitates
as she lets out
a warning hiss;
she is a snake,
poisonous and deadly,
and i have been warned
time and time again
to stay far,
far away,
but as usual,
the allure of danger
calls to me
and i inch
closer and closer,
heart beating
faster and faster
— her body tenses,
prepared to strike —
but as usual,
i ignore everything in my
pursuit.
but,
unlike other snakes
i have encountered,
this one has
the power to
strike back