Securely sunning in a forest glade,
A mild, well-meaning snake
Approved the adaptations he had made
For safety’s sake.
He liked the skin he had-
Its mottled camouflage, its look of mail,
And was content that he had thought to add
A rattling tail.
The tail was not for drumming up a fight;
No, nothing of the sort.
And he would only use his poisoned bite
As last resort.
(Richard Wilbur)
More Poetry from Richard Wilbur:
- A Plain Song For Comadre (Richard Wilbur Poems)
- A World Without Objects is a Sensible Emptiness (Richard Wilbur Poems)
- Love Calls Us To The Things Of This World (Richard Wilbur Poems)
- June Light (Richard Wilbur Poems)
- Boy at the Window (Richard Wilbur Poems)
- The Riddle (Richard Wilbur Poems)