After lashing others with our serpentine tongues,

red welts on their arms and legs

serving as a reminder of their mistaken views,

we slather a thick salve- fragrant with bitter reminiscence-

to soothe our blistered gums

in order to rear back once again

and pierce the flesh of our interlocutors,

venomous fangs sinking into sweet surrender.

And rather than listening to the devastatingly true

dicta of our victims,

we prepare our medicine and

sibilate rough threats of impending prisoner-ship,

for we allow them to hallucinate

striking again at their weakest point.