you cannot be a snake

you cannot be a snake, mommy said so I slithered under the dresser proving that I could what kind of snake would you be? daddy asked he likes to humor me, he is better at this than mommy I am a cobra, I said, with a hiss a slithering, sloppy, sneaky, snarling cobra I added the alliteration so I could exaggerate their s sounds. my grandmother said “let her be a snake”. “A cobra,” I corrected her. she is okay with being corrected. “I do not like it,” said Mommy. that made it even more exciting and fun. Cobras like to consternate, confuse and confound. I slithered away seeking a tasty mouse. thrilled with my new role.