IN WITH THE CROWD

The zebra foal must stay alert
When danger comes to call
And to prevent it getting hurt,
Kept close to one and all...
So black and white moved like a blur,
With instincts at their height,
Safeguarding what might yet occur
When lions are in sight...

The weakest won't survive for long
And that each foal must learn,
The battle must go to the strong,
Each new day they must earn...
Though life's a gift, that changes fast
While predators exist,
It's Nature's rules from first to last,
That fact none can resist...

It's true, while zebras rally round
Protecting young and old,
Their strategy most times is sound
As centuries unfold...
In with the crowd, the foal remains,
Determined to survive
The lurking lions on the plains
That hunt to stay alive...


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/in-with-the-crowd/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/in-with-the-crowd

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/in-with-the-crowd/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/in-with-crowd.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

ZEBRA AND FOAL

The zebra and the zebra foal
Were grazing side-by-side,
Each living out their daily role,
With instincts as their guide...
And yet today the foal stood close
While Mother took her time,
Not knowing how that foal's love grows
And thinks that she's sublime...

The foal was staring at the sight
Of Mother standing there,
Magnificent in black and white,
So dashing, debonair...
This was the hour love excels,
Transforming what they had,
The foal could think of nothing else,
The day love made her glad...

So sleek, so fine, so full of grace,
So gentle in her way,
So pure of heart and sweet of face,
So perfect night and day...
Regardless what might yet occur,
This time served well enough,
The foal had eyes yet just for her,
The day she learned of love...


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/zebra-and-foal/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/zebra-and-foal

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/zebra-and-foal/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/zebra-and-foal.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

COOL CAT!

Amid the heat the tiger lurched,
Fatigued not quite as strong
And yet onwards he gamely searched
And would search all day long...
And there it was, as if a dream,
A Paradise on Earth,
Although to others just a stream,
To him, it had great worth...

He waded in, a weary soul,
The stream then chilled his bones,
Content to find that waterhole,
His grins replaced his groans...
Oh, yes... this was the place to be,
Where rocks contained the flow,
Preserving still life's mystery,
Of things we're yet to know...

He closed his eyes and savoured all,
His muscles now at ease,
Acknowledging God's miracle,
The tiger felt such peace...
If he but knew what humans do,
His praises would express,
The joys known by the chosen few
When God grants happiness...


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/cool-cat-2/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/cool-cat-poem

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/cool-cat-2/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/cool-cat.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

HIMALAYAN SUMMER

The young Snow Leopard chose to climb
Towards the mountain top,
For he was bold and in his prime,
No reason found to stop...
The task ahead still drove him on,
Like fearless mountaineers,
As if all doubts were spurned and gone,
No blood, no sweat, no tears...

Just step-by-step with fate embraced,
As if his destiny,
Depending on the paws he placed
With steadfast certainty...
And thus he reached the mountain's peak,
Surveying all below,
Its scenery unique, but bleak,
Yet truly his to know...

For him, this was the turning point,
For victory was his,
With gentle mist there to anoint
His majesty with bliss...
He then let out a mighty roar,
'Today, this land is mine!'
That day he couldn't ask for more,
When life felt mighty fine!


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/himalayan-summer/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/himalayan-summer

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/himalayan-summer/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/himalayan-summer.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

SIMBA!

The lion was named as Simba,
The winner of each brawl,
Yet the reason was much simpler,
His legend's known to all...
Portraying all a lion was
And all God meant to be,
Magnificent and all because
He ruled with majesty...

He didn't merely walk, he strode,
He moved with style and grace,
As if to serve some higher code,
Content all foes to face...
And few would dare to contradict
His power and his guile,
He was the lion king God picked
And for a long, long while...

The other lions understood,
They knew their place, of course,
They knew he ruled the neighbourhood
And thus obeyed his laws...
No friends had he, not even one
And yet he didn't care,
For at each meal that had begun,
He had the lion's share...


Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/simba-2/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/simba-poem

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/simba-2/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/simba.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::

SIBERIAN TIGER

A trim Siberian tiger sat,
The day to while away,
Just like a tamed domestic cat
That lost its drive to play...
No more the youthful games of fun,
Or sibling rivalry,
He sat alone, beneath the sun,
For anyone to see...

With nothing but surrounding peace,
Till hunger moved him on,
He simply stayed and took his ease,
With sunlight all but gone...
Then creatures moved and drew his eyes,
To fathom where and when,
The waiting ploy had proved him wise,
Till hunting time again...

This was the time his mindset changed,
With mercy gone for good,
His hunting skills had rearranged
That little neighbourhood...
The left side empty, no meal there,
The right side had a treat,
In seconds, he leapt through the air...
A tiger's got to eat...


Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent wildlife
painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search:

gayfordgallery

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

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford+poetry

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/siberian-tiger-3/

Shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/siberian-tiger-poem

Printer-friendly text version, nb increase text size:

http://poemhunter.com/best-poems/denis-martindale/siberian-tiger-3/

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com/2014/11/siberian-tiger.html

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

My Stephen Gayford tribute poems are here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/stephen-gayford/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/the-prince-of-prints-2/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/a-brush-with-genius/
http://poemhunter.com/poem/gayford-gallery/

The Stephen Gayford Gallery website is here:

http://www.gayfordgallery.com

It was being updated in November 2014!

http://gayfordgallery.com/the-artist/

Youtube video: http://tinyurl.com/gayfordgallery-dot-com-video

Click-a-pic!

http://gayfordgallery.com/original-paintings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalwatercolours/

http://gayfordgallery.com/originalpencildrawings/

http://gayfordgallery.com/signedlimitededitionartistproofs/

There's also a Guest Book!

http://users2.smartgb.com/g/g.php?a=s&i=g25-52612-21

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Stephen Gayford poems can be viewed here:

poemhunter.com links:

http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems or
http://tinyurl.com/gayfordpoems2
(that's for the A to Z title listings)

blog website links:

http://denis-martindale.blogspot.com
http://tinyurl.com/stephen-gayford-poetry

Framed pictures can be bought from UK websites,
NB use zoom-in feature when viewing pictures.

http://search.ebay.co.uk/stephen-gayford
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.preloved.co.uk
https://www.google.co.uk/#q=Stephen+Gayford

http://www.baato.co.uk/stephen%20gayford
(Various website sales of Stephen Gayford prints.)


:::