No Fear of Snakes

I step gingerly into my yard Avoiding the leaf piles For that is where the snakes hide The ground is frozen solid. But they are down there. In their hidey-hole, waiting. I have a regular garter snake; I fancy she is a she. She sits at the top of my concrete steps Sunning in the spring I name her Snaky She does not bother me, and I Do not use those steps The snakes respect me For I have saved many snake babies From the mouth of my cat. Shark is his name, and he is a hunter. He devours almost everything So I get the snake babies quickly Which may be why their mommies and daddies Leave me alone, even when I bother them When I am planting; always accidentally. Fear of snakes? Not me. I give them the space and respect they deserve And they give me my space too. A mutual sharing of “our” yard.