“When I read or write a poem, I’m trying to open a window between my mind and the minds of others. Poetry is written for others. But it’s also a study of the self, which is a private kind of work.”

3
“Because the story of our life
becomes our life
Because each of us tells
the same story
but tells it differently
and none of us tells it
the same way twice
Because grandmothers looking like spiders
want to enchant the children
and grandfathers need to convince us
what happened happened because of them
and though we listen only
haphazardly, with one ear,
we will begin our story
with the word and”

–by Lisel Mueller from “Why We Tell Stories”

I dream of snakes several times a week, but it isn’t sexy.
I found that: The snake is an ancient symbol among indigenous people throughout the Americas. Often called the serpent, snake figures appear in Native American culture, art and religion. The symbolism of the snake relates to transformation, fertility, patience, feminine powers and healing. In many Native cultures, the snake is the deliverer of prayers as well as the birth sign of shamans. 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.
Snakes deserve respect. Throughout history the snakes have had many legends surrounding them, linking them to creation, fertility and transformation. Nowhere are the differences between cultures and religions more sharply emphasized than in their attitudes towards Snake, differences which will also uncover different vistas on elementary aspects of being alive.