the redlands

it's a blue oak savanna frying pan

under the skirts of lassen and

her sister, shasta.

the red lands where the rattlesnake

and the ground squirrel battle

to determine if her progeny

will be the snake's meal

or the squirrel's successors.

she fends off the snake

chases it from her burrow

onto highway 36.

in the midnight moonglare

chester has his headlights off

too buzzed on the longneck buds

he drained at the roadhouse

and fortified with some epic crank,

he barely feels the bump

his left front wheel makes

as it hits the snake

or the right front when

it intercepts the pursuing squirrel.

he stops in the middle of the road,

backs up to investigate,

an idea hatching,

having rundown rattlers

on many a night before.

chester pokes the snake

with his boot then picks it up

by the tail and stows it

on the floor of his truck

amidst the empty jerky bags

mini ketchup packets

and an orphaned sock.

two miles down the road

he turns onto a gravel drive,

shuts off the motor and coasts

into the yard behind the doublewide

where his ex, terri's, beater pontiac

sunbird is parked beside his asshole

stepbrother's broken ski boat.

chester hooks the dead snake

off the floor with a tire iron

and creeps up to the

screen door of the trailer. 

he hears his brother moaning

yeah baby, yeah baby,

do it. just like that,

chester gently eases

the screen door open

and puts the snake on the floor.

the effect will be much better

if he arranges it in a striking pose

so he reaches in and begins

to set up his little surprise.

the rattler has one spark of life

left in her or perhaps some kind

of vengeful spirit beyond the mortal coil.

just as chester places her head

in position, with one last spasm

she sinks her fangs deep into

his throat and sends a flood

of venom into his veins.

at the same moment, his stepbrother's

violent orgasm releases the blood clot

that has been lurking in his neck

and a massive stroke fells him

from the lazy boy recliner onto

the floor, where his last sight

is an empty cheetos bag, two pennies

and an expired discover card.

terri squirms out from under him

and sees chester twitching on the dirt

outside the door, a dead rattlesnake

clutched in one hand and his eyes

darting from side to side. chester

sees terri staring at him, naked

on her hands and knees in the

doorway of the trailer and he can no

longer hear what she is saying

but it's clear enough what's

on her lips before she spits

and he stops seeing anything.