Resisting inevitable change,
she clung to familiar discomfort
rather than enter the new unknown.
Her old skin, faded, dry and scarred
could constrict her growth
for only so long; it split.
Emerging into the new day, she flowed,
resplendent in tender, glistening, pliant color,
leaving the old behind.
Transformed, she rarely thinks
of her former self, content now with the new,
which seems each day to grow a little tighter.
Growing up in west Texas, where we encountered rattlesnakes on a regular basis,I had the common almost-phobic fear of snakes. Reading Starhawk's books on the history of goddess worship changed my attitude from fear to appreciation for the ancient awe of snakes as a symbol for resurrection. I love this poem. When I feel miserable, it's a signal for an AFGE* in my life.
*Another F'ing Growth Experience
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