Thirsty Travellers

When zebras migrate plain to plain They brave the hunters, too, These travellers have much to gain As each one sees it through... Consider running to and fro, Attacked on either side, Then panicked, wondering where to go, When there's no place to hide... Such are the burdens each must face The whole day long, no doubt, In seeking some great resting place, Like that's what life's about... Survivors left to tell the tales Of how, somehow, they lived, Despite the fact another fails And loses life's sweet gift... Thirsty travellers find the shore, To line up cautiously, To face the crocodiles and more Takes utmost bravery... Each baptised zebra takes his chance, With courage rarely known... In hopes, somehow, the odds enhance When none there swims alone... Denis Martindale, copyright, December 2012. The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Thirsty Travellers'. More Stephen Gayford poems here: denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com