Their First Lesson Poem by Denis Martindale

Young lions with their Mother went,
Yet life for them moved on
And adults learnt what this had meant
When childhood days were gone...
Now hunting skills would soon become
The lessons life would teach
And that was why each looked so glum,
Some brand new prey to reach...

Heads pointed forth, grim-faced and yet,
Starvation must be fought,
Regardless of their first regret,
With something newly-caught...
United as they were in this,
Survival was their aim,
It wasn't something borne of bliss,
When they were hunting game...

Mankind has hunted through the years,
From cavemen till today,
With bows and arrows and with spears,
Their hunger to obey...
Yet how else will young lions grow?
What other food to choose?
Hard lessons come, hard lessons go,
Some win, some draw, some lose...


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2013.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Their First Lesson'.


More Stephen Gayford poems here:
denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com