Always Alert

The telltale sign of tiger trials, The eyes that stare ahead, No more each twinkle that beguiles, Just fearsome cause for dread... The sense that trouble's close at hand, Just lurking near with glee, For some, that's hard to understand, Perhaps a mystery... But tigers capture every scent That wafts downwind each day, As if to signal foul intent, Or victims on their way... Always alert, the tiger roams, Perchance to gain somehow, He's not like those who leave their homes, Exploring to allow... The telltale sign explains the change, The stern mood in his mind, The world to him now seems so strange, Who knows what he will find? Though he's the hunter through and through, He, too, has enemies, Always alert, he seeks that clue That's cruising on the breeze... Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2013. The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Always Alert'.