Comment from Bill Schott

Excellent

This haiku is terrific in many ways. The subject matter is different and interesting. Aside from the clever design of the poem, the notes provide tremendous data that make the work one that a biology teacher could include in a study to deepen interest and expand the intellectual approach to understanding.

 Comment Written 05-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 07-Feb-2017

Thanks for checking this out, Bill.
Ever since reading Poe's Gothic classic, 'The Raven', I have been fascinated by crows and Ravens.
Much obliged, buddy.
~Dean

Comment from Leineco

Excellent

So. . .he/she keeps its gold carefully hidden! By the time you see it. . .
it's likely to be he last thing you ever see. . .before you enter deaths
dark tunnel!

I swear, after reading about all these snakes and poisonous amphibians
I'm just gonna stay locked up in my cozy home. . .surely that nest of
spider webs isn't foreboding. . . . . . .

arrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhh

lol

 Comment Written 03-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 04-Feb-2017

Thanks for reading my haiku, Leineco.
Glad ya liked (???) this.
Take care,
~Dean

Comment from Sis Cat

Excellent

Wow, this Haiku Club is growing by the week! This is another fine haiku from the pen, or laptop, of a haiku master. Poem reminds me of dragons guarding treasures and of a white cobra guarding the treasure of the Lost City in The Jungle Book. You also make effective use of metaphor and wordplay: rainbow bite.

Thank you for sharing and for inspiring.

 Comment Written 03-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 03-Feb-2017

Thank you for your detailed, positive feedback, Andre. I appreciate you taking the time to read my haiku club challenge.
Yes, the club membership is growing by leaps & bounds, and we now have as many as 10 people in the Tuesday night club meetings every week.
It's very exciting.
Hopefully you can make it back there one of these evenings.
Much obliged,

reply by Sis Cat on 04-Feb-2017

Dean, I have one more Tuesday night acting class before I can return to the chat. See, or hear you soon.

reply by the author on 04-Feb-2017

Sounds good, Andre. I'll talk to you then.
~Dean

Comment from Father Flaps

Excellent

Hi Dean
You'll never see me hiking in southern USA or northern Mexico. I am totally fearful of snakes, even our common green grass snake here in southern New Brunswick. We also have garter snakes, but that's about it. And they aren't poisonous.
We have missionary friends in Cameroon, Melody & Dan Grove. They have to contend with cobras. One time, a friend was visiting them. A cobra got into their house (shack, really). They had to get members of the tribe to capture it and take it outside. That night, they put double-sided duct tape at the bottom of the door. In the morning, baby cobras were stuck to it! I could never relax there. I'd be searching the ground for snakes every second!
"rainbow bite" indeed! That's all you'd see as it lunged for your leg, a scary picture now scarring my brain. I hope I don't dream about snakes tonight! I remember my sister, waking up in the middle of the night as a little girl, screaming that snakes were under her bed! And I have such an imagination, I couldn't go back to sleep.
Nicely penned!
cheers
Kimbob

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 03-Feb-2017

Thanks for sharing your story with me, Kimbob, and for the review.
I am obviously not fearful of snakes and have even had an opportunity to handle an albino Burmese python. Her name was Delilah. She was a snow white color with orange markings. She weighed in at 300+ pounds.
Beautiful.
Take care, my friend.
Sleep tight, heh-heh...
~Dean

Comment from rjuselius

Exceptional

what a brilliant piece of poetry dear dean! very clever and insightful. i don't know what rainbow brite is as it never showed in finland. but very impressive work.
thank you for sharing!
blessings!
rebekka x

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2017

Comment from Margaret Ford

Exceptional

What a stunner of a poem this is, Dean. Super writing.

I've heard of a satori with a twist in its tail; I guess that's literally true, here! And, of course, your haiku is well-supported by the art you chose.

I enjoyed reading the AN almost as much as the poem; the information was new to me. I wonder how you learned about this particular snake.

Superior haiku -- a definite SIX. Margaret

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2017

Comment from azwildrosa

Excellent

Great job on this poem. Your picture is perfect your syllables or excellent and your presentation is just absolutely stunning but I'm a big fan of color and you splashed it around perfectly. And I to haiku. This is my favorite form of poetry. As always Dean it was a pleasure to have read your work. Thank you for sharing I'm looking forward to reading more.

 Comment Written 02-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 03-Feb-2017

Thanks for reading my haiku, azwildrosa.
I appreciate your comments.
~Dean :}

Comment from Chrissy710

Exceptional

Six for this Dean clever and has a great Satori with the play on words. What an interesting snake and I remember Rainbow bright very well ( when my daughter was in grade 3 I dressed her for school one day in quite a multi coloured outfit and she looked liked rainbow bright I sent her off to school only to find out it was class photos that day and yes she stood out from the rest, we still laugh about it ) we don't have any of this snakes in Australia but do have some of the most venemous in the world. I am not a fan. I must get writing Cheers Christineð???ð???

 Comment Written 01-Feb-2017

Comment from emptypage

Excellent

The snake is beautiful. I like the poem, too, but I have a question: Did you mean "precedes"? Because if "proceeds" is correct, I don't get the poem.

I had two yellow ringneck snakes come into my house under a sliding glass door. I just happened to spot them. I had dogs, and I didn't know if the snakes were poisonous (they were not), so I beat one to death with a broom. The other I never found.

 Comment Written 01-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 01-Feb-2017

I did mean "precedes", EP, and thanks very much for the heads up in pointing that out to me.
There are two species of ringneck snake, and the Regal Ringneck--the one pictured here in my haiku-- is highly venomous.
I really appreciate your helpful review.
~Dean :}

Comment from Douglas Paul

Excellent

This picture is striking. What a colorful snake. I never heard of this one before. Your haiku plays well off the photo, but I am not sure it would stand alone without the photo

 Comment Written 01-Feb-2017

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reply by the author on 01-Feb-2017

Well... it would stand alone without the photo, Doug, but only if you knew what a Regal Ringneck snake looked like.
Having said that, as poisonous as they are, I don't believe I'd wanna get close enough to one to find out!