Analysis of The Serpent Came to Swallow Me



The Serpent came to swallow me
She showed me my philosophy was void, defunct, lacking clarity
The stories that I’ve told myself
have undermined my health
The serpent squeezed the darkness out
I resisted, attempting to scream and shout

Leave me alone I cried I want to stay like this
I cannot possibly live in bliss
I’m not worthy, I’ve harmed, slaughtered and betrayed
Freedom???  I am not that brave

Do not fear the serpent said
for those ideas and attachments are better left for dead
I am reigniting your eternal Sun
Allow me to unite your human and Soul into ONE

My MIND wants to punish, drain, to cause illness
My EGO prefers suffering, banishment, to perpetually digress
Avoidance, escaping and reclusiveness
these are the only things I know
it is impossible for me to grow

Growth is an inevitability
It is the only thing you see
stop fighting and wriggling around
stop using your mind to hold you down

Okay I surrender
have your way with me
deep dive into my emotional sea
I’m drowning here without my wings
teach me, remind me that I used to sing

I used to fly, soar and perceive
the absolute divinity and perfection in all things
take me back there PLEASE
I miss myself, my light, the breeze

I want to open my wings and fly
these old methods, ways of being and thought forms need to die

There...now you understand these processes
Accept, and look at where your darkness breathes
For by looking into those Caves
You free the bats, rats, snakes and graves
Of all the ones you’ve been before
The ones who’ve kept you on the floor

Take flight now Byrdy, spread your wings
For life is offering you better things
See and FEEL the light that ignites your heart
I have freed you from the dark


Scheme AAXXBB CCXX DDEE XXCFF AAXX XAAGX XGHH II XXJJKK GGXX
Poetic Form
Metre 01011101 11110100110110100 0101111 10111 01010101 10100101101 110111111111 110100101 11101110001 1011111 1110101 110100010110111 11001010101 0111111001011 11111011110 1100110010010100001 01001001 11010111 1101001111 111000100 11010111 1100101 110111111 11010 11111 1101101001 11010111 1101111111 11111001 01001000010011 11111 1111101 111101101 11101110011111 11011100 0101111101 11100111 11011101 11011101 01111101 1111111 1111001101 1010110111 1111101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,719
Words 324
Sentences 3
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 6, 4, 4, 5, 4, 5, 4, 2, 6, 4
Lines Amount 44
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 135
Words per stanza (avg) 31

About this poem

This poem is based on a deep healing process that I was going through at the time. Using metaphorical and symbolic language, it describes the alchemy that occurred.

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Written on September 04, 2018

Submitted by Rgriffith12 on March 28, 2023

1:37 min read
45

Rebecca Byrd Griffith

Alchemical Poet. Mom of 3. Operating room nurse. Spiritual seeker, mountain climber and recent discoverer of my inner language. more…

All Rebecca Byrd Griffith poems | Rebecca Byrd Griffith Books

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