Statement

Lying still along a path, the serpent curled itself into an infinite loop – waiting.

It sensed the vibration of my footsteps and my smell in the air.
I had captured its attention and it turned its gaze to me as I stepped closer.

Something drew it out into the open exposed like this.
The chirping in a nearby tree answered my inquiry.
They had raised the alarm of Death lurking underneath them.
Looking up, I spied on a bird’s nest and the fragile songs of new hatchlings crying for food.
The serpent below is also invested in a meal - simply waiting for a chick to stumble out of its protective home.

There, in that brief moment, was the infinite cycle of Life and Death before me.
New life created yet offering nutrients to sustain another –
all the while the serpent and I are on guard for our own preservation as we threatened each other.

I backed away for my own sake and let Nature decide their fates.