By Yasen Vedrin
(The Rise of the Fall)
A kind man walked the forest floor,
A dying snake he chanced to see.
A swelling on its head it bore,
Which woke his deepest sympathy.
“Oh, let me take this wounded thing
Into my home and tend its grief,
For to all lives that breathe and spring
My troubled soul would bring relief.
With healing herbs and potions rare
I’ll cure the snake and ease its pain,
And we shall be a friendly pair…” –
The naive man resolved in vain.
He put it in his bag with care
And brought it home to heal its skin.
A month went by, and then and there
The snake grew swift and bright within.
The kind man rejoiced. “Behold,
I brought this creature back to live!
And every blessing, new or old,
Returns with fruit that it can give.
And this happy little living thing
Begins to crawl and move with glee.
It coils tightly like a ring
And brings out tears of joy in me…”
Thus spoke the man with open mind,
Succeeded in his deeds so bright.
He stroked the creature – soft and kind,
For it was his companion quite.
He laid it in a bed of bran,
And then he went to sleep and rest,
But soon the snake's dark pupils ran
With burning fury in its breast.
And so the snake with filthy spite
Bit the kind man without remorse.
He woke up late into the night…
Numbed by the pain along his course.
“Tell me, O cruel creature, why
Did you just bite me in my bed?
Did I not heal you, standing by,
With goodness that my hands have shed?
Why do you punish me with death,
To leave this life alone and cold?
Did you rise from the pit beneath
Of that dark spirit from of old?”
“My nature is accursed and vile!” –
The creature hissed into the space.
“Of all the beasts that crawl the wild
To me belongs the foul disgrace.
Great mercy you have shown to me,
But I have bit you in my pride.
This is your tragic destiny,
For there is nothing on our side…”
The kind man died in spasm sharp.
He closed his eyes into the night.
And let true wisdom like a harp
Resound from this clear tale of might.
A snake deserves no home or trust.
The Good and Evil cannot fuse.
No place for devils in our dust,
For they are driven by Jesus.
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