River Crossing, Too

The tiger knew the river well And headed for its peace, Away from heat as hot as Hell, For mercy and release... Where waters flowed as pure as milk Beneath a waterfall, As silvered bubbles soft as silk Brought joy to one and all... Oh, tiger, tiger, let it be, To savour what there is, Amid that certain ecstacy That promises such bliss... And let the tensions melt away Like muscles stretched out wide, Such that you look back on today With tenderness inside... While you are grandiose indeed, The largest cat alive, Admit that even you must need A place you can arrive Where birds are singing in the trees, Beneath a sky so blue And there's a wondrous gentle breeze, God's Shangri-La for you... Denis Martindale, copyright, May 2015. Poem based on a magnificent wildlife painting, by artist Stephen Gayford nb Google-search gayfordgallery and 'Stephen Gayford poetry'.