Cooling Waters...

That tiger's really made me wait, He's wading in the stream, While I'm here, forced to hesitate And stand here in a dream... I watch him wade and wade and wade, I watch him cooling down, I watch him while he's got it made, As I glare with a frown... I'm hot and bothered, frazzled, fried, Fatigued down to my feet, While he's cooled down, well satisfied And thinks that life's so sweet! It's no good sighing like I do, Although I got here first, I had to let him jump the queue, Or I'd have come off worst... So there he stands, so calm, serene, While I just grit my teeth, But surely now he must be clean, Go on, turn round and leave! I look at him, he's seen me glare, Impatient as I am... Yet he's so happy standing there, He doesn't give a damn! Denis Martindale, copyright September 2015. Poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting, by artist Stephen Gayford. Google-search gayfordgallery and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.