All Things Venomous

all things venomous
these are his companions
they soothe him in the devil's loneliest hours
together they listen to the voices that remind him
he is god

he beckons them
spider, snake and lizard
to seek the shelter of his home
where he controls the moon and the sun
where warm and fuzzy become lunch

his beloved, burnished umber
angry, untouchable
a foot long centipede
undulating death and impenetrable hunger
stripping bare to bone all flesh within her lightning grasp

excited by the mousy stench of sweat
she quivers, striking between pulses of fear without desire or remorse
warm scream squealing crushed to silence
his heart burst into a thousand tiny stars
released into the belly of the beast

'she's so cute', he purrs, 'horrible but cute'
proud step parent of child he dare not caress
fearing what he cherishes most
she would kill him too
strip him clean of human form

he has no use for things human, he says
too cold
eyes burning steel on still waters
piercing the haze of good smoke and bad liquor
'This keeps me sane... don't you think?'