Ready To Act! Poem by Denis Martindale

The cheetah sensed a presence near,
A sudden sound was heard,
He looked around to get things clear
And tension in him stirred...
Not breathing now to focus more,
He waited extra signs,
As if preparing there for war,
Despite the sun that shines...

For things aren't always what they seem,
As hunting skills had proved,
Sometimes serene, sometimes extreme,
Yet he was rarely soothed...
This time, he stared intently so,
Completely on his guard,
For every cheetah comes to know
That sometimes life gets hard...

Amazingly, he stood his ground,
With courage rarely shown,
For something close was circling round,
So he was not alone...
Then out of nowhere, danger struck,
So fast it had to stun!
Good job for him he had some luck...
You should've seen him run!


Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2013.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Ready To Act'.