Sometimes In the Dark I See Snakes

Must have been six when I encountered my first carnivorous reptile Walking up the up the hill with my brother I spotted what looked like a snake I'd heard of snakes, from my mother's tales I saw it, I wasn't sure whether it was a log or what.. Then I took off running as fast as I could My brother said it was dead, lifeless For a long time my brother loved retelling that story My mother's tales, of walking cockerels wearing red high heels Of long big snakes with their tongues vibrating and hissing Of cats and how they see demons, hence "the black cats phobia" All these representing a face, an evil force, a witchcraft. .. The many warnings: Never shake their hands Never go to their house Never eat their food Never befriend their kids Never talk to them Never look at them Never take their gifts I remember how one time we burned several sea shells Because "Sea shells have bad spirits and that's why they make that sound" And this was done far from the house, in the presence of a pastor Sometimes in the dark, in fear, I see snakes Either behind me when am walking in the dark especially in the house Or at the corner of my eye, I may see some figure And sometimes when I sleep, I have scary dreams of snakes And as I have grown older, I've come to interpret these dreams as a sign that someone in my life is deceiving me, someone is trying to hurt me or someone is trying to take from me So in those times when I have those dreams, I always pray Being a Christian I understand there are forces out there, of dark and light Shindwe shetani