VANTAGE POINT

This tree was his, he'd staked his claim,
Yes, every leaf and twig...
The leopard watched approaching game,
No matter, small or big...
He circled round to catch the sights,
To memorise them all...
And while he savoured these delights,
Made sure he didn't fall.
His old tree wasn't quite as good,
This served his purpose well...
As he surveyed his neighbourhood,
Its magic weaved its spell...
This was a land he'd learnt to love,
The best that he could roam,
A palace where he'd rule above,
A kingdom near his home...
Yes, life was good, for him at least,
Yet not for those below...
For they'd learnt fast to fear the beast,
To count him as their foe...
The predator looked sleek, sublime,
Alert both night and day...
Yet from his vantage point, in time,
He'd take your breath away...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Vantage Point'.
Shared on http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/vantage-point-3/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

BLACK BEAUTY

Behold the black panther's beauty!
That striking set of eyes!
Yet survival sets its duty -
To hunt until he dies...
So each night, he's slowly bidden
To stalk his prey once more...
Within that darkness he's hidden,
In silence, to be sure...
He treads the ground with gentle paws,
He sniffs the breeze for clues,
He hides his teeth, he hides his claws,
This untamed wild recluse...
The night is young, his turn will come...
His blood runs cold each time...
His heart is beating like a drum...
Yet onward he must climb.
The hours pass, yet he must wait...
The vigil must be kept.
No rest, he mustn't hesitate...
He mustn't be inept!
Was that a rustling dead ahead?
Was that his answered prayer?
Was that a creature that just fled?
All he could do was stare!
Here was the beauty and the beast...
The devil in disguise...
With hunger raging, unappeased...
Till something near him dies...
I pity him, his victims, too...
Is there no other way?
Each night they do what they must do,
The hunter and the prey...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

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

Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/black-beauty-6/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

The polar bear looked at her child,
The one she must defend,
The son who soon would face the wild,
The one who was her friend...
The tiny cub looked up above,
To see his mother there,
The one who filled his heart with love
And melted every care.
Their togetherness and gentleness
Remain a sight to see.
To those who share their happiness,
There's no great mystery...
For each shares hope, as days go by,
With bonds they share for life,
That help them bear and thus defy
The troubles and the strife.
If Nature didn't cultivate
The love that these two own,
Then each of them would face their fate
Unaided, all alone...
Through families, life perseveres,
For we know we belong...
Surviving through the passing years,
Resilient, ever strong.
Persistence and tenacity,
These strengths have proved enough...
Formed now in every family
With tenderness and love...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Hope For The Future'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/hope-for-the-future-2/
Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/hopeforthefuture

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

DEEP FREEZE

As the snow was going nowhere,
The tiger settled still...
Content that he saw nothing there,
He rested on the hill.
He looked to both the left and right,
From his high point of view
And all he saw was white, white, white!
And so, what could he do?

He yawned at so much tedium...
With nothing there to eat...
And coldness filled him to the brim
And gone all trace of heat!
Somehow, he felt he couldn't win!
"Why can't I fly like birds?"
"Why me?" he asked, with such chagrin!
In short-clipped angry words...

Of course, we know, life isn't fair!
For some, it's way too cold.
Yet starving was so hard to bear...
And he was getting old!
He wasn't like he used to be,
So fast upon his feet.
"I'm getting on, that's plain to see...
Now things are not so sweet!"

And so he moaned, like old folks do,
About his aches and pains...
Stuck to that hill as if with glue...
Then suddenly, it rains...
"For pity sake!" he groaned again...
"This really's not my day!"
And so he stood, right there and then...
And sighed... and walked away...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Deep Freeze'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/deep-freeze-2/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

KEEPING WATCH

The zebras stood there in a line
And almost side-by-side.
Their eyes were staring for a sign
That could serve as a guide.
If dangers lurked, then eyes and ears
Would warn them when to run...
Their instincts helped them through the years,
Yet they must fight the sun...
For up above, it blasted down
With heat beyond belief...
To melt the blue, the green and brown
And linger like a thief...
Just one mistake and some would die
And so they stood and chewed...
And watched each hour pass them by,
In their long solemn mood...
No false alarms had happened yet
And so they stood their ground...
United in each other's debt
For anything they found...
A sudden stirring chilled their blood!
In seconds, they had gone!
Like cavalry, their hooves would thud,
As lions stood alone...
This battle won, the zebras lived
To see another day...
With vigilence their greatest gift,
They chewed and chewed away...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Keeping Watch'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/keeping-watch/
Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/keepingwatch

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

READY TO POUNCE

When every single second counts,
The cougar bides his time...
Above the rock, ready to pounce,
His skills are quite sublime...
He has no choice, it's Nature's way...
He starves or eats again...
This solemn truth he must obey
And has since God knows when...
His father did as he does now,
His son will do the same...
The hunt goes on and must, somehow,
In search of life to claim...
He can't escape what must be done,
For him, there's no way out...
The hunter waits, hid by the sun,
With hungry eyes that scout.
Is that his next meal over there?
Or must he starve some more?
The pain inside is hard to bear,
Yet soon he'll know the score...
Above the rock, ready to pounce,
His skills are quite sublime...
When every single second counts,
The cougar bides his time...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

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

Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ready-to-pounce/
Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/readytopounce

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

INDIAN NOBILITY

The tiger treads the trails once more -
They're all he's ever known...
Nobility he has galore,
Such dignity to own.
He strides across the ancient earth
As Nature's masterpiece...
With every step, he proves his worth,
As everyone agrees.
The tiger's trained himself to fight,
So he can stand his ground...
Not like a coward that takes flight
And then is seldom found...
He bears the scars upon his back,
His glories from his wins -
They're almost hidden in the black
And orange on this prince.
He stood the victor at the end,
The champion of each one...
The conqueror and not the friend,
When all's been said and done...
Who likes to lose, who likes to fail,
Who likes to quit in shame?
Behold him now, this alpha male,
His majesty, his fame...
He needs no crown, no royal ring,
No sceptre shining out...
You look at him and know one thing,
He's regal without doubt.
Who knows how long he can survive
This modern world he shares?
Yet every day he stays alive
Depends upon our prayers...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

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

Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/indian-nobility/
Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/indiannobility

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

KING OF KINGS

Behold the son of royal birth,
Aligned by blood, no less,
To ancient kings who proved their worth
And ones God chose to bless.
Consider all that history
Has taught us through the years,
Each miracle, each mystery,
The laughter and the tears...
Consider how each king is raised
From birth to adulthood...
As if like diamonds, well appraised,
Superior not just good...
Reflect on posture that's portrayed
To signify his throne...
That tells you he must be obeyed,
For he is king alone...
Remember all his mighty power,
His strength and bravery.
For he is king and you should cower
At all there is to see.
That majesty, that dignity,
That stare that meets your eyes...
Should grant your soul some clarity
And help you realise...
That here he is, the king of kings...
Perhaps your friend or foe...
In either case, his underlings...
What more is there to know?

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'King Of Kings'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/king-of-kings-12/

While this poem is about the lion painting,
the poem is written without any reference
to the lion at all. That's because of the
Christian symbolism of Jesus, the Son of God,
whose royal ancestors meant that He was
called the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
The poem ends with the realisation for each soul.
Are you a friend or a foe to the King of Kings?

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

ELEGANCE

The cheetah checked the path ahead
For prey and foe alike...
Yet all was calm, no need to dread,
No need to flee or strike...
No conflicts loomed, no burdens sensed,
No sudden terrors here...
At last his soul felt recompensed
For times he shook with fear.
On making sure that all took place
Without the need for fights,
He simply walked, with gentle grace,
Just taking in the sights.
This therefore meant the time was his,
To do with as he pleased.
Serenity transformed to bliss...
His muscle tension eased.

In moments, he was confident...
As if his heart felt blessed.
As if this day would be well spent...
Because it felt his best.
Taking in the sweet air's fragrance,
Its innocence felt good...
And he exuded elegance,
As if he'd understood...
That life is precious, so sublime...
Enjoy it when you can.
One third asleep, the rest gives time
To think ahead and plan...
And so he walked, to think of schemes,
To make his life worthwhile.
There's nothing wrong with dreaming dreams...
Of elegance and style...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Elegance'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/elegance-6/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

EXHAUSTED

To say the sun was way too hot
Was simply not enough.
To think, that tiny golden dot
Was burning bright above.
The lion cub had spent his strength,
Just playing with his friends
And now, he laid down, stretched full length,
Exhausted as day ends...
The adult lions stared amused,
Yet knew one day he'd learn.
To pace himself, for there's no boost
And there's no second turn...
The slightly older cubs still played,
While he laid motionless...
They'd learnt some wisdom and obeyed,
Without the need to guess.
The lion cub could hear them still
And gazed through weary eyes,
For he'd lost both the strength and will...
To join the other guys...
Plum tuckered out! All on his todd!
He couldn't pounce or creep...
And since no-one gave him a prod,
He gently went to sleep...
'Poor thing!' the adults all agreed,
Acknowledging their sorrow...
And promised they'd help him succeed,
'We'll feed him up... tomorrow...'

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Exhausted'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/exhausted-6/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

FATHER FIGURE

The lion cub thought life was good,
While at his father's side.
Protected in this neighbourhood,
A member of the pride.
A social group of relatives,
Where each one plays their part -
Each makes mistakes and each forgives,
While love lives in the heart...
The father figure led the way -
He set the mood for all.
It didn't matter, night or day -
They listened to his call.

His mighty roar was heard for miles,
On land and air above...
Yet silent were his lion smiles
That helped him show his love.
The cub tugged on his father's tail
Then jumped upon his back...
Without a thought that love would fail
Or that he'd ever lack...
This was their way, to take their ease,
To nestle in the sun...
Father and son, both blessed by peace,
As if this must be done...

When wisdom splits the lion's share,
Then others, too, can eat.
If not, then let the weak beware,
As others feast on meat.
Humanity learns lessons, too...
It turns away from war...
Then gentle folk, like me and you,
Can help to feed the poor...
When wisdom leads to clarity,
We open up our eyes
And then donate to charity,
So one more soul survives...

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Father Figure'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/father-figure-6/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

RAVENOUS

The Panda cub was ravenous!
His eyes looked everywhere!
The bamboo shoots caused quite a fuss!
He didn't stop to stare!
He pounced upon them one-by-one
And sometimes two-by-two!
His feeding frenzy had begun,
Like it was something new!
He chomped and chomped upon each shoot,
With relish and delight!
As if each was a tough old boot
Deserving every bite!
I pity fools who intervened,
When he was in his stride...
He'd fight them off as if a fiend!
He'd never run and hide!
He saw them first! He owned them all!
The feast was his alone...
So he sat down and had a ball...
That's why he looks full grown!

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Ravenous'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/ravenous/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv

GOING IN

The tiger's tail was piping hot
All the live-long day...
And that one tail was all he'd got
To swipe the flies away!
Its twists and turns were quite enough
To signal it was time
To find that place when things got tough...
The stream was so sublime...
So off he went in search of peace,
His own sweet Shangri-La...
Where all his tensions found release
As if it were a spa...
When going in, the soft mud feels
So squelchy there below...
Yet somehow that sensation heals,
As mud slips to and fro...
Now halfway in, with all legs wet,
He stands still there and then...
He loses every frown and fret
And he's refreshed again.
The final part to be revived
Must be his twisting tail
And just as soon as it's arrived,
It quivers without fail...
He's well and truly in it now!
He's cooling down a treat...
Yes, Mother Nature, take a bow!
This river's hard to beat!

Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2009.

My Poetry website: http://poem.says.it

The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Going In'.
Shared on
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/going-in/

The Gayford poems can be viewed here:
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com

The framed pictures are bought from these UK websites:
http://www.bid.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.price-drop.tv (on UK Freeview)
http://www.speedauction.tv