One of you rattles your tail and shows your scales in the sun.
The other lurks in the grass and pretends to be a stick, a ripple, a movement of the wind.
One of you broadcasts a warning to all who know what your type is wont to do.
The other says oh, me, don’t worry. I’m harmless. I would not cause a problem or be a threat.
One of you says pay attention, give me the stage, I am wonderful and unique and I deserve the adulation of the world.
The other says pay attention, give me the stage, I was hurt and treated unfairly and I deserve the pity of the world.
One of you boasts, one of you complains. One of you struts, one of you sulks.
One of you is so colorful and shiny some may want to come close — but if we have any knowledge of snakes like this, we won’t.
The other is dull and brown and seems inoffensive and needing care — we think we can hold and nurture them, only to find the bite is deadly.
What’s worse? One of you is a snake, and the other is as well. And a snake is a snake is a snake.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ann Betz is the co-founder of BEabove Leadership and an expert on the intersection of neuroscience, coaching, trauma and human transformation. She speaks, trains and coaches internationally, and writes about neuroscience and coaching as well as relational trauma. Ann is also a published poet who loves cats and rain in the desert. She has become much better at snake identification.
But Now I Know Your Name 