A charmer ov snaeks sits on the grownd

This poem is part of Bouk 4 of The Song ov Elmallahz Kumming. It is the story of the Byzantine emperor and empress, Justinian and Theodora. Here we see a portrait of the 20-something Justinian, one of a 3 part series.

Fewcher Immij, After Immij, I.
Basket, Koebra, Man in a Heep

A charmer ov snaeks sits on the grownd
Repeeting a littannee ov mannakkayen praerz.
Arownd him sum chieldz hav stopt tu stare,
And a number ov shopperz, distrakted frum thaer bizness,
Kureyuslee woch hiz okkult powwer.
Befor him, in a basket, a koebra haz rizzen
And swayz tu the rithemz ov hiz praerz.

Now the snake sinks, slolee sinks in a koil,
Like a dying fiyer, and refuzez tu rize.
The majjishen uzez evree inkantaten
But nuthing inspiyerz the beest frum torper.

The shopperz drift frum the impotent man.
The yung boyz retern tu rowdee play --
     Fiting with stiks and tossing littel stoenz --
Wen an aerent stone flyz intu the basket.

Awaken, the koebra leeps frum hiz koil,
And choozez a viktem, a neerby boy.
Fureyus it dessendz, az a karrij roellz by.

Justinneyan iz in that karrij.
He seez the jagged lietning, the koebra;
He seez the viktem, unnawware,
And grabz him! yanking him intu the koech.
He showts tu the driver, "Awway!"

Then he louks aggen:
     "Wut iz this? A filthee erchin!
     "I hav meerlee prolongd its trubbelz!
     "Awway."
          He thrusts the chield frum hiz kar,
Disgusted, and the boy tumbelz tu the stoenz.

But during that reeflex ov kiendness, the snake
Haz bin klubd and its charmer iz being stoend
By the krowd, and alreddee liez in a heep.