The Snake Pit

I hear my father’s hissing in the hallway

I see my boss’ eyes peering at me in the dark

They strike with venom in the middle of the night

I know what they are.

Rejected opportunities- they love to tell me no

They tell me I’m not good enough,

My words don’t match their flow.

My exterior doesn’t fit in with the image that they need-

A snake bites my wrist,

and I watch it start to bleed.

Perhaps we view things differently,

Or my eyes just glisten brighter,

Maybe I was never meant to adjust to their climate.

They slither beneath the grass, and they prey on me in secret,

They say that they’ll be stealthy biting the one who is the weakest.

One of them thinks she’ll be safest hiding behind her screen,

Another is a man who tells me he just needs to be seen.

It rains around me, and I find I’m cursing at the sky

I beg for sun to melt away these toxins-

You needn’t ask me why.

Maybe I should get away somewhere, find cheap deals on a plane

Find a climate warm and tropical,

Bid adieu to the rain.

I end my day and check behind me for their sharpened smiles,

Their hissing has quietened - I haven’t heard it in a while.

I grab my floss and toothbrush, clean the venom from my teeth

I shed my skin and peel off this rejected version of me.

She isn’t good enough for those who constantly surround her,

She ignores out her own hissing - because theirs is even louder.

I push back my hair and I smile and then I trim my bangs,

Perfecting every part of me, ignoring my own fangs.

I take my bleeding wrist and wonder how I got that bite

I remind myself to stay safe from snakes in the middle of the night.  

Belle is a 24 year old writer currently undertaking a Creative Writing Degree. She has been writing since her teens and has always had a passion for introspective work.