Your word this week is
FENCE
This week’s word was prompted by someone I was reading about who always ‘sits on the fence’, never saying how they really feel. Of course we most associate it with being a structure that separates two pieces of land. It’s also a sport. I recently learned that it’s the name for a criminal who accepts stolen goods and resells them to an unsuspecting buyer for profit. What does this week’s prompt word mean to you?
Fact or fiction, prose or poetry, I would love to read your thoughts on this week’s prompt, but there’s no obligation to share your writing. Here is the work you shared on the last prompt SNAKE.
Wilf Leahy:
They called us out to go and fight someone else’s fight
We fought and fought and held the line
A man stood up and said “Why are you in my country?”
I shot him dead in the blink of an eye
That broke my brain drove me insane
Now I face a lot of shame
The snakes are taking us to court again.
32% Snake
A blue wave ?
wasn't meant to be
32% snake
Represented
I see
But
As the numbers
Are tallied
More states pointing
Left
Thank God
There is a God
Who is NOT DJT
Still
32% mice
Still swallowed
By Snakes
Our
Country
Remains
The Divided States
Thomas Wikman:
Texas The Snake State
For Esther’s prompt today I am posting about a Texas Snake book that I like. I am also adding some additional Texas snake information. There are 105 species of snake in Texas. More than any other state. 16 of them are venomous.
The Western Diamond Back Rattle Snake is a very common large Rattle Snake. The Copperhead is another common venomous snake. The Cottonmouth is a common venomous snake which is white inside its mouth. It is also called the Water Moccasin because it is a semi-aquatic snake that hunts fish and frogs. The colorful snake on the right, the Texas Coral Snake, is very venomous but luckily not very aggressive. A bite from the Texas Coral Snake has enough venom to kill seven adult men. There is a harmless snake, the Milk Snake, which has similar colors to the Texas Coral Snake. Since both Milk Snakes and the Texas Coral Snake have similar coloring, how do you tell them apart? This is the rule you follow:
Red touches yellow kill a fellow red touches black friend of jack
For some great pictures and to read the rest, click here.
The Snake
A man in the forest looked at a snake’s head,
but the snake opened its mouth and went ahead
to make a hissing sound,
and he quickly ran around
the forest, as this snake filled him with dread.
Despite it being more than 20 years old, it still works properly with no problems. We won’t be purchasing a new refrigerator unless our current one no longer works beyond repair.
Talking Snakes
Beware of talking snakes.
Beware of where you walk.
Beware of what you hear and say.
Beware of poisoned talk.
Wilf Leahy:
“Do you come here often?” he asked the lovely lady.
“Oh my god, that’s classic! Go away you silly little man,” she replied.
King snake and Queen bee Learn to live in harmony Must learn from nature For more snake bits and piece, click here The Limerick Guy:
The Snake’s reputation of biblical proportion
For causing God’s first act of retorsion
Has made mankind uptight
From that first apple bite…
With a myth blown way out of proportion
Lou By The Sea:
‘Who’s your favourite one in Barry Potter?’ asked 5 year old Ben
‘You mean Harry Potter,’ replied his older brother
‘OK’
‘My favourite is Snake with his black hair and scary face’
‘You mean Snape’
‘OK’
‘Then I like big old Bagbid with his scruffy long beard’
‘You mean Hagrid’
‘Ugh…Whatever…’
‘Snake is the best though’
‘OK’
I had nightmares back in 1973 when this movie called “Sssssss” came out. I had psoriasis and when this guy turned into a snake my dreams had it being me and yes it was a repeating nightmare. Sci-Fi horror shows could get me as a youngster. Another film that terrified me was The Exorcist”, which also came out in 73′. Sounds like a frighting year right? It continued into 74′ as well but different story, different day.
Snake In The Grass
Scales reflecting sun’s warm ray,
Now resting in the undergrowth
As grandchildren run out to play.
Keep off! I cry… I’m such a dope,
Embarrassed by a skipping rope.
“A snake in the grass,” is not a compliment when referring to someone. Cut the smile.
I have to admit snakes don’t usually bother me. My sister and I had a fascination for slow worms and lizards as kids so it’s not really surprising.
The last time a close friend visited, there was a guy in town with a selection of pythons and I had my picture taken with them.
Susan Batten:
A Classic Game
In a valiant effort to get my grandsons away from YouTubeKids, I recently introduced them to “Snakes and Ladders”. It worked, sort of, because the elder one caught on immediately and could play, respecting the rules (as far as a tricksy seven-year-old can) and crowing with glee when he got on a long ladder. I don’t think he quite got the philosophical angle, though. He’ll need a few more years to appreciate life’s ups and downs. The younger one (4) played like a bull in a china shop.
I patiently explained that you go up the ladders and down the snakes and that some of his fancy moves were not actually allowed. Then the penny dropped. I had been barking up the wrong ladder. What he couldn’t get (apart from the eternal language problem – I striving to use English and he with his head full of Spanish and Basque) was the actual number system on the board. I’d forgotten that, though he might cope with 1 to 10 (in those three languages) he would have a job changing from line to line up the board, or moving in the right direction along a line. I just had to slide down the snake and turn on the telly. He’d get there one day.
We used to have a cleaner a few years ago who had all sorts of strange things in her house. As we became more and more friendly with her, she invited us round to her house to meet the snake. The problem was that it was rather a large snake that killed people. Or at least it would have done if let out of its glass cage. You could look at it but that was all. I am not sure if it was a python but I seem to remember that it was. As you can imagine, we declined the offer because we did not exactly feel safe. This lady also used to enjoy walking along the pavement on her estate with a rat on her shoulder. I don’t know what looks she got from passers by, but I don’t think I would have gone too near to her. But that’s just me. Some people would maybe have loved to see the snake.
S-ss-simply Misunderstood
Slither
Night crawler
Accidental ankle biter
Keeps its own company
EEK!
Not all snakes are poisonous and some are quite helpful in keeping rodent populations in check. I’ve got garden snakes in my yard. I respect them, and allow them to hide in the berms. Snakes are not slimy, just cold blooded. Some snakes are even better than some sneaky folks!
If I Were A Snake
If I were a snake, I’d never worry about losing my shoes or banging my knees on anything. I’d just slip along, twisting and turning like a loose ribbon.
I’d taste the air with little flicks of my tongue, catching hints of sunshine and daisies and maybe even an mouse or two.
Every breeze would feel like a stew I could taste right in the moment. I’d nap in sunbeams, coiled up tight like a cinnamon roll that sprang to life whenever someone walked by.
If rain started falling, I’d weave through puddles, scribbling wiggly lines across the mud and leaving behind no footprints or fingerprints.
And when night came, I’d curl up in a question mark, thinking about all the wild, wonderful things I might slither into tomorrow.
The Visitor
sibilant serpent slithered
through the garden gate
curious tongue-flicking
it surveys my tea
coils politely
– almost
then nods
perhaps unwelcome
and in quiet sophistication
hisses ‘Mind if I stay?’
I smile
– of course
The Snake Under Her Roof
Linda was a Filipina who crossed the ocean in pursuit of a greener pasture. Like many of her countrymen, she believed America was a land where dreams came true. She arrived with a suitcase full of clothes and a heart brimming with hope.
Her cousin Susan welcomed her into their home, offering her not just a roof over her head but a place to begin again. Alongside Susan’s husband and children, they shared meals, laughter, and the little joys of everyday life. For a while, everything seemed well.
Until Susan heard something she never expected.
Through a mutual friend, she learned that Linda had been complaining about her behind her back. Nothing particularly serious, just petty grievances, the kind that could have easily been settled over a simple conversation. Had Linda only found the courage to speak directly to her, perhaps things would have turned out differently.
But the hurt ran deeper than the complaints themselves. It was the betrayal of discovering that someone she had welcomed with open arms had been quietly nursing resentment behind her back.
At her husband’s urging, Susan finally confronted Linda. Calmly, she hoped to clear the air, perhaps mend what had been broken.
But Linda chose a different ending.
Instead of talking things through, she packed her belongings and moved out.
And just like that, the home that had once echoed with shared laughter was left with an uncomfortable silence.
Susan was devastated. It hurt to think that the cousin she had sheltered, helped, and treated like family could leave this way. It felt like keeping a snake under one’s roof, feeding it, protecting it, only to be bitten by it when least expected.
But with time, Susan came to another realization.
Perhaps Linda had never really intended to stay.
Perhaps she had simply been waiting for a reason to leave, and the smallest disagreement became the perfect excuse.
Because some people would rather walk away than admit they were wrong. They would rather destroy a relationship than swallow their pride.
After all, it is easier to play the fool than to take responsibility for one’s actions.
And sometimes, the deepest wound isn’t caused by someone who hates you.
It’s caused by someone you never imagined would hurt you.
Watch Your Asp
crisp leaves
painted in gold
resting beneath the shade
a gilded trap hides lethal fangs
vile snake
rustle
a flash of scales among the bract
striking without a sound
venom takes hold
you’re dead
Trust No One
I learned the hard way, not everyone is real,
Some hide their intentions behind how they feel.
They smile in your face, then talk when you’re gone,
Pretending they care while doing you wrong.
A snake in the grass doesn’t always hiss,
Sometimes it’s someone you thought you’d miss.
They call you their friend, they promise they’ll stay,
Then turn their back when things don’t go their way.
So I keep my distance and watch what I say,
‘Cause even the closest can switch in a day.
Trust is a gift, not something you take,
And I’ve learned that even the sweetest can be fake.
I don’t hate people, I’ve just learned to see,
Not everyone deserves the real side of me.
I’d rather stand alone than be surrounded by lies,
‘Cause the worst kind of snakes wear a human disguise.
River
trusting gravity,
watering rocky terrain—
Snake River Canyon
***
Image credit: Pinterest
Leave a Reply