I am your birthday sssnake.
I came out to ssstretch in happy,
dappled light, the first like me
you’ve ever ssseen on these bluffs,
to help you make a wish.

You might wish you knew
what kind of sssnake I am.
I sssay live like you die tomorrow,
learn like you live forever.

You might wish you’d taken
the other path, beyond the trees.
I sssay when something changes
things are bound to change.

You might wish to lift me up
and take me home, and make me
live in human time.
I sssay you knew I was a sssnake
before you ever sssaw me here.