Riddles

I was just sitting there looking at the screen when I felt something wrapping itself around my right arm. Startled, I looked down and there was a cobra staring at me; not threatening, just looking.
With thoughts it said, “What will you do?”
With thoughts I said, “I don’t know.”
“You summoned me,” said the cobra.
“Are you sure?” said I.
“Oh, yes, otherwise I would not have come,” said the cobra.
“Then please tell me; what did I summon?” said I.
“You summoned me,” said the cobra.
“Did I summon life, or death?” said I.
“You only summoned me and I hold both, the choice is yours,” said the cobra.
“How is it we ponder the choices of life and death and we understand neither?” said I.
“I don’t know, because for me there is no choice; it’s one or the other, neither a choice, ever,” said the cobra.
“We humans spend a life time trying to answer the riddle of life and death,” said I.
“We non-humans live until we die; we don’t commit suicide, and there is no riddle regarding life and death,” said the cobra.
“Please, bite me,” said I.
As the cobra glided its undulating body away, across the floor, dead was I; free of the life not lived.