Jaguar...

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : The jaguar had walked and stopped, With just her head in view, And when I saw her, my jaw dropped, I wondered what to do. Yet in the seconds that soon passed, I stared at what I saw, No longer frightened or aghast, But hoping to see more. Her head was sleek like statues are, Fine details here and there, My camera caught the jaguar, Up close, beyond compare. In colours black and white and gold, And orange for her nose, She stood so strikingly and bold As if God kept that pose. I wondered, could she be my pet, A friend within my home, Instead of here, her food to get, As she would freely roam? If as Goliath I stood tall, What would I need to fear? At home, this big cat would look small, But lose her freedom here. Denis Martindale. November 2021. The poem is about the magnificent painting by UK wildlife artist Stephen Gayford. While the Jaguar portrait has the title Jaguar, the back panel identifies this as Mother Jaguar. That title has already been written about with mention of the second one, Jaguar Cub.