The Serpent and the Old Woman
- a Poem
- by Deepti Kuttan Pillai
Deep inside the forest,
sat the serpent, coiled in a twine.
The mighty oak tree gasped for breath,
under the perilous climb of the vines.
The serpent sat there brooding,
its eyes as black as storm;
the air was thick with venom,
and danger, yet unknown.
Stepped in the old woman, in the midst of this,
without a trace of angst;
wicked smile playing on her crooked lips
and lightning in her glance.
A clap of thunder tore through the sky,
as the serpent heard the crone;
with twitching tail and slithering flail,
it watched the dusk change to dawn.
To this day, the legends say,
each time a cruel word is spoken;
the serpent writhes in agony,
for giving the venom to the old woman.
Deepti Kuttan Pillai
from Chennai, in Tamil Nadu, India, is a foodie, movie-buff, and a dreamer to boot! She finds cooking and baking, therapeutic, as these help her to de-stress. She enjoys writing because it makes her a better person, she feels.
