Morning Glory Poem by Denis Martindale

Before the sunshine starts to boil,
The creatures greet the day.
Though sunshine makes night eyes recoil,
Their sleep must melt away...
A new day dawns, a billion yawns
And weary legs arise...
Each antelope then swings his horns,
Each crocodile then cries...
The insect armies rally round,
For new food must be sought
And many stir beneath the ground
Where battles must be fought...
The lions rise up from their sleep
With focused eyes once more,
A constant vigil now to keep,
As if they're keeping score.
Gaze now upon each noble face
That lions wear with pride,
The grace we see can quite amaze,
Despite our fears inside!
The big cats mesmerise us all,
With utmost majesty!
When they stand up, they're six feet tall
And that's too tall for me!
Like us, the lions live on Earth
Beneath the sun and moon,
Each generation has its birth,
Replaced by others soon...
But while we're here, our turn to live,
We seek the common good.
Our stewardship helps us to give
And do the things we should.
The lions share their portion, too...
Each lion has his story
And to conclude, I say to you,
Let's share the morning glory...


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Morning Glory'.