African King Poem by Denis Martindale

African King



It's rare to see your lion face
For most would stay away,
Yet if you don't give me the chase,
I'd see your mane like hay...
Ten thousand strands of fine-formed fur
Adorn your majesty...
Gold ribboned bands that somehow stir
My sense of chivalry.

Yes, royal blood flows through your veins,
Enough to warm my heart...
Till I recall what vicious pains
As sovereign you'll impart.
African king, yet savage beast,
You rule your world with fear.
While in your eyes I seem the least,
I'm not all I appear.

For I'm a hunter, born and bred,
A carnivore like you.
I'll throw my spears till I get fed...
Most times, my aim stays true...
I've seen your glowing eyes at night,
Your silhouette so close...
I've seen the fearful birds take flight,
As tension overflows...

As long as I respect your space
And you respect what's mine,
We'll each survive by God's good grace
And we'll both get on fine.
There's room enough and game enough
To live our whole lives through...
So if you let me do my stuff,
I'll keep away from you...

copyright, Denis Martindale.

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'African King'.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Topic(s) of this poem: animals
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
The poem is based on the wonderful wildlife artist Stephen Gayford's paintings and you can use the poemhunter keyword search for the popular Stephen Gayford animal poems: lion, tiger, bear, meerkat, eagle, falcon, leopard, cheetah, panther, panda, parrot, macaw, owl, wolf, dolphin, seal, penguin.
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