under the gate

those were bright hours when i watched the black snake
take its slow way through the thick heavy grass
i let the slower rarer creature pass

there were some other things i had to take
and other purposes not yet so crass
those were bright hours when i watched the black snake

some meanings it turns out are hard to fake
we look at history through a dull glass
and what was gold turns out to be cheap brass
those were bright hours when i watch the black snake