I will never forget the day we found a snake

Dusty roads in Mae Sot

Mountains in the distance

We climbed 570 steps to the waterfall

You climbed further through falling water

Waving and smiling in fragile mist.

We found a snake. Killed it.

Accident.

We ran it over with our bikes. "Snaaaaaake!"

The lime green reptile

Still alive, yet bleeding from the eyes

Sight obscured by anguish.

Fresh pain as bitter as the lime colour of its scales

"I want to keep it for it's skin!" You lay it in your basket.

Later that day The snake vanished, "where did it go?"

It's muscular body came hurtling through the air

Free from time and without breath

Blind meandering in the air above our heads.

A cosmic river. The fresh green always fades.

You returned the snake to your basket and we rode away.

"Noooooo!" Your tyre was flat.

An hour later on our way back to Mae Sot we slung it in the jungle.

Returned it to its world of camouflage and neutralised your karma.