The snake was the lowest, the dirtiest,
of all the creatures in God’s creation.
But it was smarter than those two humans
in a Garden; it only took shiny fruit
and ego polishing to humble them.
Those twelve tribes of humans in the desert
humbled themselves, and the snakes had a meal.
But God was there: a serpent was made pure
gold, raised on a stick, a signpost for life.
There it was, an icon, holding back death
gave stubborn sinners a new, holy breath.

The Christ, Jesus was highest and purest,
the Son of God, incarnate salvation,
antidote to the two foolish humans
in that Garden, Love come down to commute
the sentence of those grabbing at his hem.
He was far hungrier in the desert
than they, humbled himself, and made hope real
as God with them. He was the serpent, sure
of his fate on the stick, offering life
to draw out the sin and recreate death.
All can pass through to find new, holy breath.