Be Careful!

The panther turned his head around, He knew that I was near, Regretfully, I'd made a sound And it was crystal clear... I didn't panic there and then, I simply froze, that's all, Somehow I counted up to ten, Deciding I should stall... As long as I kept mighty still, No further sound was heard And though it was an act of will, My silence was preferred... That panther hadn't seen me yet, While I blinked quietly, Pretending that I needn't fret, Heart beating frantically... The panther turned, continued on And I was mighty glad And when I saw he'd safely gone... I felt a lucky lad... One camera click was all it took To turn that panther's head And though he had a long, long look, I'm still alive, not dead! Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2013. The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Be Careful'. More Stephen Gayford poems here: denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com