Ouroboros
I am a viper,
shedding my soured skin—
fragile, both coarse and soft—
to unsheathe my soul.
Like the sun,
rising and sinking beneath the Earth.
Like Ouroboros,
I devour myself,
I subject myself to a concious cycle of destruction and rebirth.
Is this of my own volition?
I ponder.
Or was I born this way?
With each sunrise,
I blossom anew.
But, simultaneously, I wilt—
a constant state of going nowhere.
But, then I remember:
a viper's skin will always shed,
as time matures alongside it,
and it will be born again.
I will be born again.
Something wrong with this poem?
Replies are closed for this poem.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you are not alone.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, 24/7. Crisis Text Line — text HELLO to 741741.
▾ This Poem's Voice
Your Poem's Voice
Personal transformation explored through abstract philosophical lens of rebirth cycles.
Multiple dense ideas: identity, cycles, volition, time. Complex thoughts densely packed.
Melancholic uncertainty tempered by hopeful resolution and renewal affirmation.
Intense internal struggle with forceful verbs: devour, subject, shed, wilt, blossom.
Approximately 22-25 lines depending on line breaks; falls in 16-30 range.
Rich metaphors, similes, personification throughout; viper, sun, Ouroboros create layered imagery.
Pure lyric introspection; internal monologue questioning self with no narrative or dramatic persona.
Comments (0)
Comments are closed for this poem.