Rattlesnake In My Garden

Two summers ago Armed only with a hoe Went to the garden Hoping the ground not harden Twas a nice summer morn Just for gathering corn Got to the herb raised beds Thought I'd some basil instead Pulled out my knife To cut some spice Spying some movement Fell quiet as a mouse Snake, Snake But no one to hear My grandson inside Turned a deaf ear When first I spied him Thought he's a rat snake Then with closer look a copperhead did make Sticking him in the center back with my six inch blade Thought he would crawl away but he stayed He coiled and rattled to let me know He was not confined to just crawl low He stayed upright and faced me head on I told him he best be gone He dropped back down and started to crawl away I caught him behind the head with the six inch blade He gave a flop and I heard something pop Out of my garden he crawled To find another spot Stay gone don't come back But now I pack a fourty-five to garden the back side (This needs work. I wanted to write this because I never thought that I would find a rattlesnake in my herb garden. He scared me to death when it was over and I really realized that was what I faced. All I could think about during the confrontation was other family members who might be out there and get bitten not suspecting that he was there.)