snakes

snakes

among the stones are live slivers

of muscle one end open

hungry and barbed with fangs

the other thin as a worm or pencil

tip and harmless

as a baby's finger

waves move beneath geometric skin

appearing to slide backward but

pushing forward through

the dark places beneath a boot

surfacing now and again for warmth we both

take notice not to wind up

face to face

with the wrong end