Serpentdance (poem)

[KiaraNightshadow]

I began writing poetry 5 years ago, but a combination of school and work stopped the flow in 2008. Sadly, I haven't taken it back up since.

I have a poem here titled Serpentdance, which also happens to be the title of a pending-publication story I have on here, though the two are their own entities. But I figured if I was going to post one, I'd post the other--to be seen by the public much faster.

Sexy, dangerous, enticing...

Serpentdance

Serpent of the Scarlet Sky
Mindfully brushes past
Icy blue opals shift to midnight
When she spots her meal at last

Black scales ripple, luminescent
With the sinuous swaying of hips
Fangs are bared, elongating
To spread from tasteful lips

She locks on to her cowering prey
Approaching with maddened zeal
Cunning, malicious, ever closer
A dwindling viper amid surreal

The spiteful ophidian lunges
Precisely as to take no chance
A malevolent sigh the last it hears
Succumb to my Serpentdance

(C) KiaraNightshadow 2006


Thoughts?

-K

 

[serpentwrap]

I like this poem, wish the "dance foreplay" could be longer where you could bring on the sexual tension between the serpent and its prey far more evocatively. But it works quite well in this format too... I really liked this and the scope this poem presents...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

Why thank you. I was thinking of drawing it out a little bit, but with how long it's been I'm not sure anything I add would live up to what's already done. For now, I'm willing to call it finished.

I noticed your name, by the way. Awesome.

 

[serpentwrap]

Why thank you. I was thinking of drawing it out a little bit, but with how long it's been I'm not sure anything I add would live up to what's already done. For now, I'm willing to call it finished.

I noticed your name, by the way. Awesome.

Yeah, as I said, it works fine at this level too. But maybe after a few days, relook at it, and if you can stretch teh sexual tension a wee bit more, give it a try...

Yes, even I had noticed the similarity of teh names.

And trust me, where I come from, the connotation of serpents ranges from sensuous to the pious. Being cold-blooded, snakes can cool te heat of a body, if wrapped around. Thats the scientific explanation, the sensuous one is obvious by its name, nah...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I enjoy linking serpents to the occult and comparing views of different ancient cultures. So many things are repeats of other cultures, it makes you wonder.

Fascinating, really, and I find that to be a triumph. A woman who isn't afraid of snakes. Call me proud, but I think it's epic.

It's also almost 2am and I am insanely tired, which is likely clouding my logic.

 

[serpentwrap]

Oh yeah, I could recount tonnes of legends and stories about snakes and serpents that truly borders on magic realism. But yes snakes have a great significance in most religions of teh world. Thats perhaps because they are so feared... There are religious rituals where they feed milk to the snakes openly in cities. They are worshipped too.

But I'll leave these stories to some other time, you need your beauty sleep I guess... Good night, lady...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

You know, why don't you just start on your stories whenever you want and I'll take a nap right here?

...Holy crap, I'm not a Lit Virgin anymore.

 

[serpentwrap]

Congrats on the graduation from Virgin to The Experienced. Now teach us a thing or two, O The Experienced One.

Yes, I'll send you a serpent story soon.... Gotta finish some work first. My woes ne'er end...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I have learned but one word: spam. It works, trust me. Join us at the Late People's forum in Personals, lots of fun there.

Hey, woes do end. They have to end or life is no fun. And if life isn't fun...why are we living?

We live because we love life, and we love life because it's worth living.

...Do I make any sense?

 

[serpentwrap]

Yes The Experienced One, you make immense sense. I too subscribe to similar views about loving life and living it... Please do catch up on your sleep though... whenever... just a tad concerned, thassall... Have been lurking in that 2 truths & 1 lie thread...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

But it's so much fun!

 

[serpentwrap]

And by the way,

There are three rules to being a writer; unfortunately, no one knows what they are.

I would say:

There are three rules to being a writer; fortunately, no one knows what they are.

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I'm not sure. I'd like to know those rules. Then I could publish them in a book and earn millions of dollars with that as a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[serpentwrap]

I have a theory about books earning millions... In fact, its about anything fetching you millions... All your talent, skill, diligence, hard work, etc. etc. is of little use till Lady Luck smiles on you. That Lady Luck is likely to smile only if you have the talent, skill, diligence, integriry, hard work etc. etc. is another story altogether....

For I've read some absolutely marvellous books whose authors suffered in penury and some godawful books ringing in the cash.... Just like movies...

Write a book Kiara, and dont worry about the money, show Lady Luck your discipline and then hump her into submission... like how teh serpent grabs its prey in your own poem. Make that destiny, luck Karma whatever your prey....

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I'm sure everything you just said will be clearer in the morning.

Hey, did you know snakes can bite people hours after being decapitated? True.

Right, heading to bed. Night, Serpent.

 

[serpentwrap]

OK here goes your bedtime snake story. I just love this story not just for its sheer imagination, but also for the values it connotes. And I have my own interpretation of the same as well:

In Hindu mythology and its pantheon of Gods, Indra was the king of all Gods. {Like many other reliogions, Hinduism too has its Trinity : the Creator, Brahma, The Preserver, Vishnu and the Destroyer Shiva} Once, while riding on an elephant, he came across a sage who offered him a special garland. Indra accepted the garland and placed it on the trunk of the elephant. The elephant, irritated by the smell of the garland, threw it to the ground. This enraged the sage as the garland was a dwelling of fortune and was to be treated reverently. The sage then cursed Indra and all the Gods to be bereft of all strength, energy, and fortune.

This was traumatic. The demons (evil forces) attacked the Gods and their king gained control of the universe. The Gods then sought help from the Preserver Vishnu who advised them to treat the demons in a diplomatic manner. Tempting the demons with elixir (the immortality nectar), the Gods formed an alliance with demons to jointly churn the ocean for the nectar of immortality and to share it among them.

The churning of the Ocean was an elaborate process. A mountain was used as the dasher (churning tool), and Vasuki, the king of serpents, became the churning rope. The gods held the tail of the snake, while the demons held its head, and they pulled on it alternately causing the mountain to rotate, which in turn churned the ocean. <I>For a moment just pause to imagine the sensuality of this image: a massive serpent glides sinuously around a phallic mountain to rotate the same and churn the liquid of the ocean from its very pit. Wait till you hear the rest of it.<I>

During this churn process by the gods and demons, many precious treasures came out from the womb of Mother Earth. First was a pot of poison that was so potent and toxic that it would destroy all creation. Neither the Demons nor the Gods were willing to touch it. Out of compassion for living beings, the third of the Trinity, Shiva swallowed the poison. His wife pressed her hands to his throat so that the poison would not go inside his body. They say it remains restrained in his throat. The toxicity of the poison turned his throat blue and it was on fire. That’s when a cold blooded snake wrapped itself three times over his throat to cool the heat in his throat. And to symbolise that the God has desire and lust wrapped around his throat and keeps it in control.

In addition, 14 other treasures – from gems to Alcohol to divine nymphs to Fortune - were retrieved from the womb of the earth that was distributed equally among the Gods and the demons. The last to be retrieved was the elixir of immortality. Fierce fighting ensued between Gods and demons for the nectar. To protect the nectar from the demons, the Gods hid the pot of nectar at four places on the earth. However, the demons eventually got hold of the nectar and started celebrating. Vishnu then took the form of Mohini, a beautiful and enchanting damsel, who distracted the demons, took the elixir from them, and distributed it among the Gods.

The story represents the spiritual endeavor of a person to achieve self-realisation through concentration of mind, withdrawal of senses, control of desires and practice of austerities and asceticism. All because of the serpent of sensuality who made this higher consciousness possible. The snake or the serpent symbolises desire, lust, libido, call it what you will. Using a snake in the churning of the ocean denotes that the Gods and the demons held desire as a rope and churned the mind with the help of concentration and withdrawal of the senses. Desire, if not controlled will overpower and destroy an individual. And if controlled, can result in exalted, conscious-freeing Nirvanic orgasm that is the elixir of life.

Oh, the story has many many more shades; I’ve just concised a few for this story. From time immemorial people have associated Snake with both male and female aspects of sexuality. In religions where sexuality, in both its physical and spiritual aspects is celebrated, Snake has been held with honour. More repressive belief systems have linked snake to evil.

Moreover, as you must be well aware, snake represents rebirth (because of its molting), protection against evil, either male of female sexuality, rain and fertility, a mediator between the physical and spiritual world, and eternity. It represents the male sexuality as well as the female energy or life force in goddess worship. As Snake sheds its skin so we can shed our illusions and limitations. Then we are able to use our vitality and desires to achieve wholeness.

Have you ever seen snakes mating? It’s a sight to please any sensualist. The way they wrap themselves around each other, sliding wrapping, coiling, uncoiling…. Its indeed a sight to behold…

As are many snake stories in various religions and mythologies. But perahps you know 'em all... Forgive me if this long post has become boring...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I hardly consider a topic like this to be boring.

You know, there are only a few people I'm aware of who know such elaborate stories like this...and all of them are Pagan. Are you, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[serpentwrap]

No I'm not a pagan. Although I must admit I'm thoroughly an athiest in teh traditional sense. Spiritualism is another story altogether...

 

[serpentwrap]

I hardly consider a topic like this to be boring.

You know, there are only a few people I'm aware of who know such elaborate stories like this...and all of them are Pagan. Are you, if you don't mind me asking?

Oh there are tonnes of stories like this. In all of us. In fact, I was thinking a while ago if a thread like Sexual Interpretation of Myths would make sense at Literotica. And if so, where? In fact, I have long cherished a desire to write an erotica musical. I even have the story for it. Tragedy is I'm not a musician. I mean I dont know the craft. I need someone who can compose music and thik and vibe with me on the thoughts. WHat a musical it would be. And if we can keep it within the risque qambience, maybe Lierotica should have a show at Broadway...

Is there anything wrong in dreaming?

 

[serpentwrap]

And young lady, Good morning Did ya sleep well? More importantly, did ya sleep with a smile

 

[serpentwrap]

Oh and by the way, the story I narrated above is straightaway mainline. Lots of Tantric stories (sort of pagan) about serpents also exist. In fact, those who do yoga should know. The toughest form of Yoga is called Kundalini Yoga which is based on a loose assumption that a serpent is coiled with its energy within your navel. Yoga helps this kundalini elevate higher and higher. Once this Kundalini reaches your head, one is supposed to get mystical powers and often goes into a meditative trance. The idea is of a serpent that gets uncoiled gradually throigh yoga and starts slithering to your medulla oblongata But this too is not pagan, I'm afraid, its as mainstream as they come...

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

I slept well, if shortly, thank you. I finally don't feel like I'm going to slam my head against my laptop keyboard while I'm in the middle of typing a sentence.

What have you been up to?

 

[serpentwrap]

Just done quite a bit of work. Got a presentation to make for which I'll need to leave shortly. And thought of some more stories for you, not necessarily the obsidian variety...

 

[serpentwrap]

Do you know the story of Eros, Psyche and their child Volupte? I bet you do. Or the story of Shiva, Ganga and the Himalayas? Now imagine doing a musical on this story a la Phantom of the Opera or the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar... ? First lets interpret these myths ...


Or am I on the wrong thread? Sorry, I got a bit carried away... I'm outta here....

 

[KiaraNightshadow]

Of course I know the story of Eros and Psyche, but I probably fell asleep during class the day we talked about Volupte. Tuesdays...

For everything else: I know more about Egyptian, Greek and Roman mythology than anything. They're most interesting to me, and I can pronounce the names.