Diagnosis by Richard Schnap

There was an animal inside him

That kept changing shape

That wore different faces




A ravenous rat

With a ceaseless hunger

Burrowing through garbage




A cold-blooded snake

Coiled around itself

Drinking its own venom




A maddened dog

Crouched in the shadows

Howling at ghosts




And an earthbound bird

With a broken wing

Dreaming of the sky

Richard Schnap is a poet, songwriter and collagist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His poems have most recently appeared locally, nationally and overseas in a variety of print and online publications.