Evening Dip Poem by Denis Martindale

The tiger traipsed towards the lake,
Fatigued, no longer proud,
Plum tuckered out, for goodness sake,
His roar not quite as loud...
His long tail swished from left-to-right,
Less gusto than he hoped
And while he tried with all his might,
He'd wondered how he coped...

Ah, there it was, the lake so wet...
So cool his dip would be...
Where he would soak, relax, not fret,
His long legs dangling free...
With toasted tootsies soon to rest,
With whiskers floating there...
With him content and somewhat blessed,
To drift without a care...

He licked his lips while leaves passed by,
With long breaths in and out...
He was so happy he could cry!
Yes, that's what life's about!
Of course, he knew it couldn't last...
The first chill told him so,
That's when he left the lake quite fast,
For somewhere else to go....