Gamble

[milo]

Why is "the man" still holding the snake by choice when it is constricting life away?

If even you don't know there is little hope for it. A better question is : what is the difference between constricting life and constricting life away?

In my opinion, if it was just constricting life, we wouldn't really get as clear of an answer. Ok it is constricting life, what happens next? Death? Survival? Anything? If it is constricting life away, to me, it gives a clearer reason as to what that leads to.

I think you should carefully consider what you are writing. First, a snake can't squeeze "life", it is abstract. You believe that adding the non-word "away" adds to this poem? I don't, but that is probably just me, what do I know?