With Teeth Like Fangs And Venomous Words

I wrote this almost a month ago and it's not my most recent poem, but it is my favorite of my poems right now.

Snakes, especially venomous snakes like rattlesnakes, are often misunderstood by folks. The reasons why snakes bite people are when they are startled/scared & are trying to protect themself or their den/nest. Often people demonize and hate what they do not understand, and snakes are unfortunate victims to that human characteristic.

Anyways, enjoy, friends :))
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I used to sharpen my teeth into fangs,
Making them needle-sharp
They used to leak venom into every word,
Causing great damage with every lie
I would hiss and barely shake my rattling warning,
Before striking without giving them a chance

In those days, I shared many traits with a rattlesnake-
Misunderstood, as I bit with sharp words dripping in venom,
Not to purposely hurt, but trying to protect myself
Scared, I’d coil up & hiss out warnings,
Although, I’d barely give out the warning.

Nowadays, I don’t bite as hard or strike that fast,
Often preferring to bite myself.
I contain my venom much easier,
swallowing it rather than inflicting it on everyone;
But, to be honest, I am not immune to my own venom.

I think it’s best that I bite & swallow my venom,
Saving others hurt & suffering from myself.
After all, lots of people care about a monster hurting people,
But who cares about the monster who bites itself?