Awesome

The awesome tiger walked close by, without a single clue, For I was hidden, safe and dry and there my wonder grew. This spectacle that few have seen and lived to tell the tale, Was so majestic, so serene, perhaps an alpha male... He strode this Earth as though a king, as if to be obeyed... As if some tribute I should bring, his wrath to be outweighed. As if the champion of the chase, instead of random chance, His every move exuded grace, as if life were a dance. His stripes were like Venetian blinds, like slit slats on his fur. Up close, they were like warning signs, my death could soon occur. My body, like a statue, stayed, immobile, locked in time... The deadliest game I ever played was awesome, quite sublime. He was the cat, I was the mouse... existing side-by-side. The aim, of course, was just to browse. My eyes browsed open wide! His body passed beyond my gaze, his tail swished left and right... And with that parting of our ways, my heart filled with delight... It was as if Death knew my name, yet couldn't claim me then! I know I'll never be the same! Halleluyah... and... Amen! The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Awesome'.