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It's a Snail's Life

There is everything ugly about the little creepy snail he delivers the slime scraping his foot. Maybe it’s his small, pea size shrunken brain or those tiny eyes, or the way he slinks on his flat foot that squirms underneath his round tubular body with black eyes on the tips of the long tentacles two, on his cold little head. Two more short tentacles are upon the pointed head. with the shorter pair for feeling around the park. The snail has two long tentacles that hold his eyes on the tips. At three years old they lay white eggs so white and small which stick to them and are buried in the ground underneath. Holes he digs to hide his body safely tucked away from foes who know he’s tasty, so he goes on his way. Piercing black eyes on top of his loathsome head, s/he is a hermaphrodite with equipment underneath. The shell reproduces itself, alone like other snails. His radula is rough and grainy but still, a foot very small with a row of tiny teeth which eats leaves on the tips. If he falls over, struggling, his whole world tips. Unfortunately he can’t get up having no legs anyway. So what could be worse than to live life as a snail? There are African snails who are 15 inches toe to head, while the body is 2lbs of protein we boil and eat snails who are harvested by hand in the ground underneath. He flourishes as a pest in the dirty ground underneath. The shell slimes along without instruction or tips. What could be worse than to live life as a snail? Destroying crops he eats root, stems and fruit on his way, but if a dog eats the snail there’s death to his head. A mythical figure and a symbol of deadly sin, so small he has small dreams, but at church he generously tips, with holy expectations, underneath he knows the way to his heart and his head as a martyr enduring life as a snail.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2010




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Date: 5/5/2013 7:40:00 AM
Good morning, Julie, Congratulations with your Featured Poem of the week :-) Take care, and enjoy your wonderful day. Always & Forever! **LINDA**
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Date: 12/30/2010 3:54:00 AM
I enjoyed reading your excellent poetry this morning Julie. I will be back after the New Year to read more of your poetry. Wishing you a very Happy New Year. Love, Carol
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Date: 12/29/2010 4:30:00 PM
A tremndous effort you must have put in to write, an exquisite piece of beauty you have worded so well on snail's life, muich appreciate, julie. Sestina is one of the most difficult form but you seem to have made it easy
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Book: Shattered Sighs