In Reverence

Beware the green mamba, slender necklace of emerald and silver that slithers overhead concealed in foliage

The puff adder, broad-headed brown mottle basking on a path of hot dust at night; beware the boomslang and the bushmaster

Pay heed to the rattlesnake’s rattle and the death-cry of the struck rat; place your feet carefully along the trail

Give space for the spitting cobra to spread its coils; fear the speed of its strike and the burn of its spit

Beware the coral snake; part bushes with a forked stick and watch for a flash of red and yellow

Beware the krait that creeps into the drainpipe at night for a drink of water; beware how it keeps cool in the shade of your house

In low country swamps, ward off the water moccasin; wear thigh-high gumboots and watch for arrowheads of ripple

When you pass the Bodhi Tree, pay respect to the great Naga who guards the meditations of Gautama; slay no snake who does not menace you, step from the sidewinder’s path.

Books Available
The Day of My First Driving Lesson
Country Well-Known as an Old Nightmare's Stable
High-Voltage Lines
Knocking from Inside