Watchful, Too...

The leopard sensed a presence near, Its size as yet unknown, His watchful look expressed no fear, He was within the zone... The place where feelings reach their height, The place where death awaits, The place where leopards use insight, Forget all loves and hates... The watchful look makes hearts beat fast, His heart was just the same, While mean and moody, not downcast, No legend left to claim... If fighting was the way to go, Each second's life or death, His only power was to know, While he conserved his breath... This time, the unknown creature stood, No threat to him at all, Thus peace came to the neighbourhood, As if a miracle... It's how life lives beneath the sun From coast to coast to coast, Their readiness to fight or run, Survival uppermost... Denis Martindale, copyright, September 2014. Poem based on the magnificent Watchful II painting by Stephen Gayford nb Google search: gayfordgallery Find more wildlife poems using Google search for the search phrase Stephen Gayford poetry.