Winter Snows

As he laid down his weary head, The tiger heaved a sigh... 'Not snow again? ' he asked, then said, 'Oh, dear, please, tell me why.' The snowflakes flopped upon his nose And nestled on his ears, On twitching whiskers, then his toes And made him feel his years... 'I don't deserve this day-by-day And even night-by-night... It doesn't matter if I pray, My world's a constant white.' Depressed, he stayed, frustrated still... Life's not as we would choose. Sometimes the chill can make us ill - That's hardly called good news. His fur coat kept him warm at best... He wasn't all that cold. Yet snow north, south and east and west? Oh, dear... he felt so old... He used to climb the tallest trees And bask beneath the sun! Snow was slippery just like grease... It simply wasn't done... Yes, Winter snows tame tigers, too. Like them, for Spring, we wait... For now, there's nothing we can do... I know, that's great... just great... Denis Martindale, copyright, January 2010. The poem is based on the magnificent painting by Stephen Gayford called 'Winter Snows'. More Stephen Gayford wildlife poems: denis-martindale-dot-blogspot-dot-com