On her mantelpiece

I reach intriguingly for the real skull

with the cheap fake plastic snake
shoved through an eye socket

for grotesque Gothic effect!

“Ah! Aggh! S%*h! Wot de...? ”

“Careful...! ” she smiled.

“The skull is false...the snake is real! ”

“He’s called Rodney...he’s a real little pet! ”

“Mmm...X...oh...babeeee...oh...who does Mummy love? ”

“Yes...yesssss! ”

“Did the big bad man scare you? ”

“Yessszzzzzzzz! ”

(Scare you...scare you...he almost scared me to death!)

“Bastard! ”
I utter under my breath.

'He's.. lovely! '
I lie.

'Oh, I just knew...you two would get on...look...he likes you! '

Rodney sticks his tongue out at me...flickers it menacingly.

All night he keeps a beady eye on me
...hisses as we kiss.

Slithers between us when we dare to touch.

Oh, God...
just my luck!

I'm in the Garden of Eden with Eve
with a snake hell bent

on seeing his love rival off.

'Reptiles...slimy... slimy things...ya just can't trust 'em! '
I think to myself.

'Male Humans.. slimy... slimy things...ya just can't trust 'em! '
It thinks to itself

Dónall Dempsey

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/oh-i-see-you-guys-have-met-already-for-frieda/