Sula

A creepy cryptid creature.

Sorry about this amateur art. My supplies and skills are limited! AI probably would have done better, but I was feeling extra creative today.

Behold, the serpent, Sula,
a snake who has four legs!
He pulls them in for slithering
when robbing nests of eggs. 
He puts them out for sauntering,
for climbing and for kicks.
He's envied by the other snakes
for all his nifty tricks.

This Sula's sort of sneaky,
he's not one you can catch.
He'll jump or slide or roll around
with speed no one can match.
His amber eyes are jewel-like
and sharp as laser beams!
Don't think that he's a stupid snake--
he's smarter than he seems!

This Sula, he is super rare,
no snake is quite like him.
His purple scales and silver stripes
accent his shapely limbs.
He'll wrap himself around a tree,
or slip inside your barn.
Your chickens are in danger!
That is why I'm here to warn.

Old Sula's got an appetite
for eggs, but also meat,
and when he puts his mind to it,
that Sula's got to eat.
His orange fangs are needle-sharp
when he decides to bite,
so stay away from snakes with legs
unless you like to fight!

I've only seen him once or twice
'cause Sula's very quick.
His looks are surely shocking
and his movements are just sick!
It's not a fox that's stealing eggs,
it's not a beast that growls.
That purple mutant quadruped
is Sula on the prowl!  

I came up with the idea for this poem after reading a number of short stories about cryptids by Nathan Hatch from his new book, "DEEr JErky," and after noticing the latest cryptid challenge from Labyrintha Mythweaver and John Watson. Substack has many talented authors I haven't yet discovered, but I'm working on it. My cryptid isn't that scary, although if I saw a snake with retractable legs, I might still run.  Maybe you can come up with a scarier, creepier one?

Here’s the link:

Create A Cryptid Challenge