Do not discard.

That snake skin in the gutter, strangely enough, remind me of something from me past, flowing in me present - stories from ancestors in me blood, and legends from me country that plenty folks here almost forget, that young chil’dren don’t know now.

As soon as my mother (mischievously) say that them snakes in the yard like me, the story of the strangest marriage wriggle out from me memory.

It is the story of the Amerindian girl who did marry a camoudie, a snake that does wrap around man or animal; it can squeeze the life outta you and swallow you wholesale.

The girl, a’ Arawak girl, was beautiful; plenty, plenty men did want to marry she but she refuse. Even pigeon who offer to marry she, she refuse. Then one day, a handsome young man come to ask for she, he arrive with four horses, golden harness and bridle. Right away, the girl say Yes.

Wedding day, everything was glitter and gold, and the handsome groom bring a dress of golden threads for he bride. After the wedding, they set off for the groom home. On the way, he embrace he wife and...

...the wagon turn into a pond and the horses dissolve into water which fill the pond...and the groom become a camoudie.

The girl swim and swim ‘round and ‘round the pond to get away but the camoudie grabble she and wrap around she. She holler and scream for help but nobody ain’t come to rescue she. Finally, all them young men who she did refuse to marry come and surround the pond. They feel sorry for she but couldn’t help, the camoudie been wrap ‘round she so tight. And they tell she how she is getting she right punishment for refusing them in the first place, for choosing that strange, handsome man who gon soon swallow she.

Then there is the story that Pa, me grandpa tell my mother.

One shivery, cold day, a man been walking on the road and he see a snake. The poor snake look dead, coil up so tight and not moving. The man feel sorry for the snake. He pick it up and put it in he coat pocket.

Slow, slow, the snake warm up, wriggle, wriggle, get back he energy...

...and bite the man, kill he dead.

Be careful, Pa used to say, be careful who you trust and take in close to you.

That discarded snake skin in the drain remind me of something else too, that I observe here. Instead of adding we stories to the grand history of man, to help illustrate the story of man, we the people is shedding we tales, leaving them to decay while we take in only them foreign ones now. While I...

...I dream of we stories flowing in we veins, grandparents passing them on, teachers teaching them along with foreign tales. And poets, writers would smartly, proudly refer to them along with Apollo, Cassandra, Persephone and others.