Out Of The Shadows

His eyes looked left and slowly right, beyond his tusks of grey, Then up towards the clouds of white upon that sunny day, And there was gratitude within, the joy of life and more, That innocence that has no sin, that blessing without flaw. Out of the shadows, he stood there, as he surveyed the scene, Content to stand and gently stare, majestic yet serene, As if he knew an inward peace, serenity sublime, To partake of that Summer breeze that marked the pass of time. And when I saw him take each stride, I saw tranquillity, Despite the wrinkles on his hide, he showed no frowns, you see, The legacy that he had built could rival all Mankind. Just placid thoughts. No trace of guilt. No burdens left to find. Yes, life was good, for him at least, so why not take a stroll? And so that calm yet mighty beast walked to the waterhole, And there to drink and there to bathe, to watch the world go by, While unaware of God who gave the land, the sea, the sky. I knew the Lord who made it all, and filled this world with life, Such that each day's a miracle, despite Man's share of strife, And like that elephant, I saw without a single care, He lived a long life, that's for sure, without a single prayer. But thankful more than any man that I had ever met, Despite the lack of any plan or treasures he could get! Yet I found more, thanks to God's love and that's worth living for, Yet if you think you've found enough, there's more! There's more! There's more! Denis Martindale. November 2020. This poem is about the magnificent painting of an elephant by wildlife artist Stephen Gayford.