Student Publishing Program ::

George Velonias

Innocent Until Proven Guilty?

Smells of sausage and fried potatoes filled my nose

As if they were being held out in front of my bike

I rode home hastily with the warm bread in my hand

The warm sun of midday Greece seemed to bake the clay soil

Hardening it into fresh new pottery

The sensation of the sun’s rays on my skin were so strong

I felt as though someone was holding a hot candle up close to the back of my neck

The intensity of the sun’s brightness flooded in from all directions

As I followed the dirt road from the town back to my house

The sweltering heat blurring the horizon

My bike skidded to a stop as my eye caught the slightest of movements

The snake, glaring, stuck out its hideous tongue

I dismounted my bike and picked up a large stick

As I prepared to banish my least favorite of all creatures

I stopped and thought first

Hypnotized by its beady eyes

The disgusting shape of its body especially its writhing movements

The expression of its cruel façade reminding me of its deadly tactics

All the terrible things it could do, but hadn’t, came to mind

But why hesitate?

It played a dirty but vital role in the world

Located nowhere near my or anyone’s house it was no real threat

(but to the local mice)

In the end I found the snake guilty and awarded it the death penalty

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2013 EDITION]