Twenty-Two Feet

Luke Downes
Author: Luke Downes
Word Count: 152
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Twenty-Two Feet

Twenty-Two Feet belongs to the following groups:

All Things Poetic, Artistic, Philosophical, Freedom In Words & Art, The Word Tree and Up & Coming Writers

A snake,
twenty-two feet
of reptilian beauty,
told me once
a primitive secret –
a dark bruise
of a secret
that washed away my blues.

Who knew
that twenty-two feet
of savage grace
would, so sublimely,
erase all the worry
from my
little-boy face?

A serpent,
twenty-two feet,
never recoiled from me,
nor I from he.
Neither did he strike
but still
he constricted – it’s true! –
and then swallowed up whole
my premature blues.

His forked tongue slipped
through his reptile lips
and he flicked it
into my ear,
tickled my drum,
leaving a bit of knowledge
still un-dislodged;
a black and blue light
to bleach out the blues.

Oh, what wisdom!
Twenty-two feet
of ancient wisdom
that passed to me something,
should I ever repeat,
would take away too
your troubling blues.
But it’s a dark-as-dusk secret
and it leaves a bruise.

  • gerrardt

    gerrardt

    incredibly written…wonderful prose.

  • MagpieMagic

    MagpieMagic

    Love this.

  • Trenchtownrock

    Trenchtownrock

    Yep..this is pure fire.

  • Lisa  Jewell

    Lisa Jewell

    Luke,

    You poetry is seriously sublime
    Full of imagery and symbolism I want to swallow whole.

  • artyfifi

    artyfifi

    Excellent!! I agree with the fine company above. You write with rare dry wit & elegance, sir!

  • Paul Compton

    Paul Compton

    Sublime. Magickal. Love love love!

  • Kristin  Reynolds

    Kristin Reynolds

    I’ve heard that secret…and the bruises keep on coming. but damn it all to hell, it’s worth it. the bruise is where we live. I love your poetry, metahor is my blood. awesome! K

  • BlackDogAura

    BlackDogAura

    you really very good.

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