Gibbon Poem by Denis Martindale

A gibbon's such an agile thing,
It moves as if a blur,
It takes firm hold, then starts to swing,
A trail of tail and fur...
It may not own a peacock's grace,
Or match a dolphin's smile,
But there's a fact that we must face,
A gibbon's sure got style...

Athletic twists, athletic turns,
A gymnast soaring high,
With all the tricks that each one learns,
Almost like it could fly...
Like Spider-Man, up there, at ease,
A show-off now and then,
Content to leap between the trees,
Then, sometimes, back again...

I used to be quite agile, too,
But that's a young man's game,
Old age can change your point of view,
Ain't that a crying shame! ?
But when I see a gibbon glide
Across its neighbourhood,
I must confess, I think inside,
'I used to be that good! '


Denis Martindale March 2017.


A poem based on the magnificent Stephen Gayford
wildlife painting. Google search phrases
gayford prints and Stephen Gayford poetry
and also for Heaven and Earth Designs...