Maharaja Poem by Denis Martindale

How rare this tiger looked that day,
As I with camera stood,
Thrilled at the colours on display,
I did all that I could.
For all the pictures I might get
To bring some happiness,
The zoom was then precisely set,
As he stayed motionless.

If beauty is our chief concern,
And nothing more than this,
There is a lesson we should learn
Before things go amiss.
Both young and old must contemplate,
And weigh the matters well,
Then choose the wisest turn of fate,
The best that we can tell.

White tigers such as these seem blessed
Of all upon the Earth,
Superior to all the rest,
Esteemed to have great worth.
Saved from extinction in this age,
Preserved by God and Man,
As time gets moving page by page,
As part of Heaven's plan.


Denis Martindale. May 2022.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
of a beautiful White Tiger, entitled Maharaja,
by Stephen Gayford. Google search my poems
using the search phrase Stephen Gayford.