Snake Bite

In the midst of a hard season,
My friend and her family went to the park
So they could have a restful day together.
As they strolled the path

A snake bit her.

This attack is so ludicrous, so overt,
It seems unbelievable.
Enter in to the malice, the meanness.

I realized today that in the last six weeks,
Phil broke his leg.
Our dishwasher broke completely.
Phil’s computer is, for now, ruined.

That is actually
A lot.
So I prayed for protection,
For an end to attack.

And then my butter dish broke.

It is beautiful.
A superfluous gift from a friend
That spoke to me of community and love
And beauty and lavish abundance.
I can’t just buy another one. It is discontinued.

There was not another thing in my house
That could have broken that would have felt so like

A snake bite.