Distant Movement Poem by Denis Martindale

Snow leopards are quite rare today,
In fact, they're almost through,
Unless Man seeks to pave the way,
To do what he can do...
For now, this creature crouched alone,
On granite rock to poise,
A distant movement was now known,
The leopard had no choice...

For Man had intervened before,
Encroached upon its land,
In ways no leopard should ignore
If it knew what Man planned...
For Man could be its friend or foe,
Be callous or be kind,
Yet how on Earth was it to know
What each man had in mind?

And so each leopard, though sublime,
With beauty from its birth,
Faced unknown dangers all the time
Regardless of its worth...
For Man, the hunter, king and clown,
Called all the creatures his
And even when he let them down
Thought ignorance was bliss...


Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2014.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting by
Stephen Gayford, nb Google search gayfordgallery.

Find more wildlife poems using Google search
for the search phrase Stephen Gayford poetry.
Also search websites for Adopt a Snow Leopard...