The King! Poem by Denis Martindale

To some, he's just a lion there
Among the pride he owns
And yet he looks beyond compare,
Like kings upon their thrones...
He rules by strength, maintains by might,
Controls what seems the best
And called upon to stand and fight,
Still proves he beats the rest...

That kind of courage says it all,
Except for scars, of course,
So pardon him if he stands tall,
His legend to enforce...
And pardon him if he decides
The one who's first to eat,
For he's the one who never hides
From those times he competes...

The king's the king, for now, today,
Tomorrow's king, who knows?
But now's it's everything his way
Till losing to his foes...
So pardon me, if I respect
The king who's in his prime,
The alpha male that I suspect
Sighs how kings fall in time...


Denis Martindale, copyright, January 2014.


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


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