snake girl

a little girl
in the neighborhood
runs around
wildly
through the yards
crossing
the street, yelling,
I found a snake,
I found
a snake.
you see it in her
hand, held
tightly
trying to unwind
itself from
the small fisted
grasp of the excited
girl.
it's green, the color
of spring leaves
and grass.
I don't think it's
poisonous she says,
it hasn't tried
to strike me.
she shows it to her
mother, who is
sitting on the porch
smoking,
rubbing her leg.
she looks at it and
says, it's not a
copperhead dear, like
the one that bit me
last week.
you can keep it
if you want.