Going Home! Poem by Denis Martindale

This tiger simply had enough!
His ears were way too cold!
This Winter had been way too tough
And he felt way too old...
Why was his anger fever-pitched
Just like a crazy cub?
His tootsies throbbed! His whiskers twitched!
His back was playing up!

'I'm going home! To Mum and Dad! '
He vowed with all his might!
Reflecting on the things he had,
The Prodigal took flight...
Backtracking homeward off he set,
Towards that Shangri-La,
Towards the joy he'd not forget,
Regardless near or far...

The days passed by, the weeks passed by,
Yet where could home be found
Beneath that awesome pale blue sky
And snow upon the ground?
The months relented, then Spring came,
The tiger's hope returned,
Though not quite home, his home to claim,
The dream that he had earned...


Denis Martindale, copyright, December 2013.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Going Home'.


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