CHIMPANZEE

The chimpanzee was quite a sight,
When I first saw him there,
You see, he looked quite young despite
The wrinkles everywhere...
His bright eyes shone so full of life,
Beneath a frown or two,
Though this day showed no pain or strife,
No cause for feeling blue...

He held a twig, poked it around,
Then tossed it at his friend,
It bounced off him and hit the ground
Before he could defend...
He picked it up and tossed it back
And so their game went on,
Then suddenly, they both lost track,
The novelty had gone...

If only Man could follow suit
And walk away from war
And not let battles still pollute
This world from shore-to-shore...
If chimpanzees can call a truce,
Can nations, yes or no?
With each new war, each side must lose,
Till nations make wars GO!


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting
by Stephen Gayford. Google search phrases
gayford prints and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

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Shortcut:
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REFLECTED GLORY

The tiger and two cubs laid low,
The water soothed their skins,
No other place seemed wise to go,
For then nobody wins...
Reflected glory calmed them all,
That's what it did and more,
So in the stream, each cub would crawl,
Then stay there filled with awe...

They merely let the day go by
And watched the bubbles glide
And though some fishes wondered why,
The cubs chose to abide...
Their whiskers sparkling like the dew,
Their nostrils somewhat wet,
The cubs so glad of something new,
A day not to forget...

But time moves on, so up they stood,
The trio must depart,
Returning to their neighbourhood
Where they would play their part...
The sizzling sun would dry them out,
Majestic once again,
Contrasts are what life's all about,
For tigers... and for men...


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting
by Stephen Gayford. Google-search phrases
gayford prints and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/reflected-glory-2/

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SUN WORSHIPPERS, TOO

The meerkats lounged as best they could
While on guard all the time,
That Summer's breeze, it sure felt good,
That sunshine felt sublime...
The sky devoid of clouds, so blue,
A symbol so serene,
As if with nothing still to do,
No reason to look mean...

The meerkats looked at rocks and dust
And holes in which to hide,
Always the same, close things to trust,
That Nature had supplied...
Yet that same sun now overhead
Was always on the go
And though at night it always fled,
Where to, not one could know...

And so the meerkats often stared
In wonder at the sun,
For nothing else on Earth compared,
For there was only one...
It seemed to bring them warmth as well,
Though how they could not say...
Because as far as they could tell,
It looked so far away...


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting
by Stephen Gayford. Google-search phrases
gayford prints and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/sun-worshippers-too/

Shortcut:
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EAGLE OWL

The eagle owl perched on a tree,
The branch beneath its feet,
So statuesque, so solemnly,
So seldomly to meet...
Yet there it stayed, so much at peace,
Content that I was near,
Unruffled by a soothing breeze,
Devoid of any fear...

I eased my camera to my face,
Slow motion was the way,
To raise it up with gentle grace
And all the time to pray...
My camera clicked and clicked again,
The zoom-in got it all,
It was my turn to smile right then,
To gain this miracle...

Photographers know what I mean,
To capture beauty thus,
To stand one's ground, not intervene,
To move yet cause no fuss...
And once the pictures had been saved,
That bird then flew above
And all at once, I stood and waved
At something new to love...


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting
by Stephen Gayford. Google-search phrases
gayford prints and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/eagle-owl/

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MOTHER JAGUAR

Oh, how noble was the profile
Of Mother Jaguar
And so much so, she made me smile,
Because she looked a star...
And with her cub, she looked so proud,
As if she had enough,
As if her full share was allowed
And it was filled with love...

That little cub would cuddle close,
No other would it seek,
Like every special cub that knows
Their Mother's quite unique...
Their bond was everything, of course,
Survival at its best,
The very thing one would endorse,
It passes every test...

Though generations come and go,
That cub will grow up fast,
With passing years that always show
The values meant to last...
Without the guidance that's received,
What hope would help it through?
And that's the truth that I've believed
Can help me and help you...


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting
by Stephen Gayford. Google-search phrases
gayford prints and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/mother-jaguar/

Shortcut:
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WAIT FOR ME!

The elephants were walking on,
The calf was last in line,
He turned around before they'd gone
And said, 'Well, that's just fine!'
They'd never said a word as such,
Just up and went and left,
Without a thought to stay in touch,
That's why he felt bereft...

Poor thing! My word, he looked surprised!
'Well, that's a fine to do!
It's good that I soon realised!
I'd not do that to you!'
They lumbered on and kept ahead,
Yet his feet were quite small,
Despite the speed at which he sped,
Which wasn't fast at all...

That's when he bellowed, 'WAIT FOR ME!'
That's when they each looked round,
Who made that noise? They stopped to see,
It was the strangest sound!
'Don't fret, dear child! You passed the test!
You let your voice be heard
And we're so proud you did your best!
Now, not another word...'


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting,
by artist Stephen Gayford. Google-search for
'Stephen Gayford prints' and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/wait-for-me-28/

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MEET A MEERKAT!

The painting on the wall had showed
A meerkat family
And oh the smiles each one bestowed,
Such that they called to me...
So off I travelled, on my way,
To visit them at home,
To meet a meerkat on that day
And watch them freely roam...

One adult meerkat whizzed around
And scampered to and fro,
As if quite nervous at each sound
He'd heard but didn't know...
And when a plane flew overhead
I saw him faint and fall,
As if his heart was full of dread
At such a miracle...

But, pretty soon, he stood again,
As courage conquered fear,
That was, for me, the moment when
I simply had to cheer...
He overcame, then he arose,
Much stronger than before,
The best choice that he ever chose
Had thrilled me to the core!


Denis Martindale, copyright June 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting,
by artist Stephen Gayford. Google search for
'Stephen Gayford prints' and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.

Poem shared here:

http://poemhunter.com/poem/meet-a-meerkat/

Shortcut:
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and also here:
Shortcut:
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