Mountain Retreat

Snow leopards roam the mountains tall And roam the mountains wide, Aware of when God's sun must fall, As if it, too, must hide... For nights can bear the coldest cold That brave men fear too well, Snow leopards, then, stay calm, take hold, In some retreat a spell... Thus midnight chills the evening air, Beneath God's silvery moon, Enough to make each one take care, For daylight comes not soon... Some softly tread despite the night, Some merely sleep and rest, Snow leopards wait the coming light By which they may be blessed... When biding time is all there is, With nothing much to do, Accept some victory in this, Surviving, battling through... When passing time no more resists And each dawn proves a friend, One's life persists where hope exists, Determined to life's end... Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2015. Poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting, by artist Stephen Gayford nb Google-search gayfordgallery and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.