Cooling Off Poem by Denis Martindale

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The tiger took his precious time
With just one thought in mind,
He knew a spot that was sublime,
A place he could unwind.
A paradise on Earth indeed,
A pleasant Shangri-La,
With healing for his present need
And thankfully not far.

The heat was heavy on the air,
A blanket clinging close,
Its presence somewhat hard to bear,
And that fact he well knows.
But pretty soon he found the stream,
A sight beyond belief,
The answer to a tiger's dream,
Relief instead of grief.

He waded in with gentle grace,
And savoured how he felt,
With every step new joys to face,
His tensions thus to melt.
The water rippled to and fro
As silver bubbles moved,
And every muscle told him so,
Things couldn't be improved!


Denis Martindale. September 2021.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
Cooling Off by UK wildlife artist Stephen Gayford.