Fate by Nancy Jo Allen
The snake rests in the path of her truck
which she wants to back out
under the overhead door.
It stretches out as thick as her thin wrist
which supports the garden hose
she uncoils toward the sunning creature.
The water is icy, and its flow freezes
the cold-blooded reptile in place.
The woman grabs a shovel—
long-handled—from the display
on the garage wall and—with caution—
she scoops up this napper,
transports it to wooded yard
behind the garage.
She flings the snake
deep into the woods
where it catches high in a tree.
It hangs there (still semi-coiled)
the color of the aspen branch
from which it will warm
its cold body,
and determine
its own fate.
# # #
Nancy Jo Allen is a Minnesota native who now lives in Columbia, Missouri. In recent years her photographs, short stories, and poems have been published in Well Versed 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 with the First Place poem and two Finalists in the Flash Fiction Challenge, * 82 Review, Dime Show Review, Interpretations 4 and 5 a Columbia Art League project, Third Wednesday with another Finalist in the “One Sentence Poetry Contest,” and Firewords.
Photo:
Shaifulnizam Harun
[…] Nancy Jo Allen Juliana Amir Beulah Amsterdam Anne Anthony Gary Beck William C. Blome Alexa Bocek Terence Gilmore Cady Valentina Cano Dr. Marlene Caroselli Celaine Charles Evan Coleman Charlotte Cooper Dan Crawley Morgan Crooks Arthur Davis Deanna Davis Matt Dennison Steve Deutsch Donna DiCello T R Discepola Ray DiZazzo Laurie Ann Doyle Mika Doyle Frank Dullaghan Milton P. Ehrlich, Ph.D Michael Ellman Terri Kirby Erickson Andrew Furst Rachael Gay Matt Gaydos Beth Gordon Charlotte Hamrick Julia Hands Sherri Harvey Kevin Haslam Cheryl Heineman JL Higgs Alayna Hinson Culley Holderfield Bernard Horn Paul Ilechko M.J. Iuppa Rebecca Irene Erin Jamieson Sandra Kacher Dennis J. Kafalas Laurel Kamada Lianne Kamp Thomas Kearnes Christopher T. Keaveney Merle Kinney Wendy Lee Klenetsky Carol Lynn Knight Yoni Hammer-Kossoy Anna Kriegel Alan Lake Daniel Lee John I. Leggett Cherene Leong Rosario (Russell) Licciardello DS Maolalai Sante Matteo José Enrique Medina Todd Mercer Leonie Milde Andrew Miller Bruce Miller Ruben Miranda-Juarez, Jr. Ace Moore Cecil Morris KG Newman J.R. Night Quentin Norris Stephen O’Donnell Jude Okonkwo Angelica A. Oluoch M. Ran (Randall) O’Wain Geoff Peck Richard King Perkins II Horia Alexandru Pop and here, too Fabrice Poussin Janet M. Powers Tony Press Brian Randall Joni Renee Paul Rondema Jennifer Rood Rebecca Royce David Anthony Sam Kelly R. Samuels Cory Kulbir Saran Gerard Sarnat Daryl Scroggins Spencer Séverin Fatima Siraj Philip Smith William R. Soldan Megha Sood Robert Joe Stout Yong Takahashi Amanda Tumminaro Devorah Uriel James Valvis Patricia Wentzel William J. Williford Laura Wilhelm Jenni Wiltz […]