POETRY

COILED  BABIES

By

Susan Fanoga Cobrado

I have seen snakes before

far too deadly to explore   

I even played and dined with them

with honeyed words and fried pennies

I have seen too, the cash morsels

hanging by the snakes’ pit

feeding the forlorn faces

of their women victims

and I hated myself more

because I cannot save them

for I too, tasted the morsels

served by three hissing cobras

wearing the masks of deceit

cloaked under human faces

far deadlier than the slithering

magical, graceful, mysterious

wonder of the cobra’s neck

opening, spreading and rising

to protect her young, coiled babies.

DON’T  WAIT

By

Susan Fanoga Cobrado

have you tasted

little deaths

after pain

have you felt pain

in laughter

after hate

have you touched hate

in embrace

after rape

then my ragdolls

of abuse

don’t wait.