Leopard Cub Poem by Denis Martindale

The leopard cub that Man could view
Some distance seen away,
Was just another cub, that's true
And yet this made my day...
My camera zoom could catch the sight
That few were meant to know
And what I saw caused me delight
And more respect to grow...

For I observed such detail there,
Each random black spot seen,
Each whisker floating in the air,
The nostrils in-between...
The fluffy ears, the golden eyes,
The cold dark stare ahead,
It somehow made him look so wise,
As if a thoroughbred...

That tight-lipped mouth I'll not forget,
Its sharp teeth hidden still,
Like claws, its secrets to regret,
For these were meant to kill...
Though now, he wouldn't hurt a fly,
The thought far from his mind,
Some day he'd kill, yes, by and by,
Whatever prey he'd find...


Denis Martindale, copyright, April 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting by
Stephen Gayford, nb Google search gayfordgallery.

Find more wildlife poems using Google search
for the search phrase Stephen Gayford poetry.