Death holds indomitable sway over us all;
Beware: an axe swings where feet never tread.
Like a winding river through pale, tall grass—
Death’s indomitable sway looming over us—
A snake lies lifeless bleeding crimson ooze
From opened arteries of attrition.
Wistful like a river through pale, tall grass—
Death’s unsubduable sway lurching over all—
The serpent oozing in oscillations.
A snake lies lifeless bleeding crimson thick
From opened arteries fast accosted—
Death’s unsubduable grasp is strangling us all—
Wistful like a river through pale, tall grass,
The serpent spraying in oscillations.
Lo! Above! A great bird—eagle—soaring wing span.
The snake still lifeless bleeding crimson quick
From opened arteries fast dissected—
Death’s unsubduable grip is crushing us all—
Woeful like a river through dead, tall grass;
Serpent still squirting in oscillations.
Down from the sky descending with great speed,
Savior? Above! A great eagle—bald—killer wing span.
Sectioned snake wiggles, bleeding crimson blood
From opened arteries, hatchet-severed—
Woeful like a river through dead, tall grass,
Snake blood still spurts out in oscillations;
Death’s unstoppable power oppresses us all.
That’s no eagle savior—nay, a turkey buzzard
Descending down from the sky with great speed.
Sectioned snake seen gushing a crimson flood
From butchered arteries, sharp axe-severed—
Thrillful like a river through tall field grass,
Snake blood alerts out in oscillations.
Death’s indomitable jaws swallow us all—
Truth: an axe swings where feet will never tread.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
Originally published on tristanrobertlange.com, September 13, 2025
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: September 13th, 2025 06:48
- Comment from author about the poem: Exsanguination Nation, is another written in my original Revelatory Cascade Form, which I created on December 25, 2024. The form consists of seven stanzas with expanding line counts (2–8), interwoven with repeated and mutating lines that spiral toward revelation. In this piece, the severed snake, the eagle, and the buzzard carry the grotesque truth of empire: that it always bleeds itself dry.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 16
- Users favorite of this poem: Priya Tomar, Teddy.15, Friendship
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Comments7
This poem brings to mind several images. The snake on the banner (Don't tread on me, the severed snake representing that unity is important, the snake in the garden that tempted Eve and God said you will bruise his heel but he will crush your head) The serpent of the Mayan people. I remember grabbing a six foot rattler by the neck and couldn't turn loose out of fear of being bit till I could sever its head. There is an inbred fear of the serpent in man. This is a powerful write very symbolic.
Yes indeed, my friend…that inbred fear of the serpent runs deep in our bones. I wanted that ancient dread to pulse through every stanza and I am glad you felt it. 📜🔥🩸🕯️ Much appreciated, my friend!
Most welcome Tristan
I'm not a fan of snakes in general although I've handled a few 🌹 excellent dark imagery.
LOL! Then this must have been next to as thrilling as watching Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark! LOL! Thank you so much, Teddy! 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
🤣
Ohh, Popeye will cheer us up. He'll show us.... I can't finish that! lol.
You know, that ol' sailor loves his snake. Has one for a pet methinks. Popeye's been mysteriously absent because his snake got severed. Tragic thing for him. Olive Oyl seems to be absent too! 🤔 🤭
Lol.
Your poem revolves around the inevitability of death and the omnipresence of mortality. It reflects on the fragility of life, the violence associated with death, and the pervasive nature of loss. The repeated imagery of blood and the snake serves as a metaphor for suffering, while the references to nature underscore the juxtaposition of life and death.
It's yer full on metaphor which I, with even me broken training wheels feel I might conceivably understand completely.....
Rhymer Dave categorically states it's about:
The state of play
In America today......... and almost everywhere else as well....
Ding ding ding…winner winner, chicken dinner! 😂🤪 You just graduated off those training wheels. All jokes aside, thank my friend! Your time, humor, and engagement are much appreciated! 📜🔥🩸🕯️
Wot I don't quite understand, Tristan is how a novice or even non performer with respect to metaphors gets it, when the lot above, attuned to this figure of speech and indeed promote its use aggressively cannot be fussed enough to divine the depths of yours....🤣
Powerful
Thank you Thomas! 📜🔥🩸🕯️
This poem is a relentless, looping meditation on mortality, where each refrain tightens the grip of inevitability. The shifting imagery ( serpent to bird, eagle to buzzard ) strips away any hope of rescue, while the visceral detail of blood and “oscillations” makes death’s presence tactile. It’s grim, hypnotic, and unflinching, ending with the chilling truth that the axe swings where no feet tread.
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