The Choice

she reaches up
and sees that Snake
is watching from above
he has draped himself artfully in the apple tree
and regards her with
a mild curiosity
darting his forked tongue
in and out
and in
and out

she hesitates
but he offers no sagacity

her instinct to take the apple
overtakes her in waves that
surge along her outstretched arm
vibrating through the bones and tendons of her hand
and pulsing through her fingers
like a mother’s labour

and so she does

she pulls the apple off the branch
and claims it as her own

Snake continues to watch benignly
he does not judge her
for he knows
there is as much value
in the losing
as there is in the gaining

Image Credit: Jeff Pfeil 2009
Snake and Apple