Whiteout Poem by Denis Martindale

A dainty little snowflake fell
Upon the tiger's nose...
It sounded like a warning bell
And suddenly he froze...
He bowed his head and heaved a sigh,
As if he had the blues,
Because he sensed that by and by
Another meal he'd lose...
'That's fine and dandy! Ticketyboo!
Oh, joy... it's back again! '
Yet there was nothing he could do,
Except count up to ten!
Through gritted teeth, he braced himself,
Against the coming cold...
As if life left him on the shelf,
Now he was getting old.
Don't think he was a scaredy-cat,
Some weakling on his own,
With wobbly jowls and flabby fat,
No teeth to chew a bone.
He was as sleek as he could be,
With muscles like taut springs!
Yet snow was oh so slippery
And when it lands, it clings!
The Autumn nights were cold enough
Without this added perk,
For snow could make life really tough
And cause him extra work...
A tiny tear fell from one eye...
And plopped upon the ground...
Just like God's diamonds from the sky,
The tiger to surround...


The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:
denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com