HIDE & SNAKE
Hiss! hiss! hiss!
Chrissy shan’t miss
her pet snake.
It slithered and it wriggled
— along —
— so long —
— on —
that wicked fellow John.
It looked at her longingly,
Chrissy’s pet snake
He he! hiss hiss!
She hit it with a broom —
in the living-room,
Chrissy’s pet snake.
‘For Pete’s sake!’
(for that was his name)
‘You’ve squashed his brain!’
I yelled at her.
Though not deterred
a jot.
‘I should have shot
both you and the snake,’
she hissed direct a' me.
Ha ha! hiss hiss!
Chrissy shan’t miss
her pet snake.
hiss!
humbug!
squish! esias ryder, HIDE & SNAKE, 1997
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