Lazy Afternoon! Poem by Denis Martindale

The lioness and two cubs stayed, fixed to a certain spot,
And here's the reason they delayed: it wasn't quite as hot.
They circled round, and round, and round, as some pet cats can do,
And once that certain spot was found, they all took in the view.
Cub one was almost on the verge of sleepytime again,
But wanted one more chance to surge at cub two there and then.
Just one more swipe, then dart away! Was that too much to ask?
Yet struggling on this long, hot day, he gave up on that task.

He slumped upon his Mother's back, fatigued enough to rest,
As he resisted his attack, although he'd tried his best.
Two scamps with pot shots of their own, which was the better one?
Cub one, cub two? The truth's not known. Their battles aren't yet done.
Time grants them years before they grow, as apex predators,
To know what only adults know, time waits till that occurs.
They while away a day that drags like other days they've seen.
Let scamps be scamps and scallywags! No need to intervene.

Their Mother knows they act like fools, yet loves them just the same,
She knows they don't play by the rules. They think it's just a game.
They've got frenetic energy, like cats that dart about,
And tease each other endlessly till they're both tuckered out.
But then there's harmony at last, just like the days before,
Yes, suddenly it's coming fast, that time of peace, not war.
'Wait till tomorrow! Then you'll see! ' says cub one to cub two.
But he's asleep, and truthfully, still planning what he'll do!


Denis Martindale.18th June 2026.


Here's another wildlife poem by Poemhunter poet Denis Martindale. The poem's title, 'Lazy Afternoon', features a recently discovered Stephen Gayford painting. It portrays a lioness and her two cubs resting on a sunny afternoon. It's unusual because it's seldom done to have two paintings named the same for such similar themes. The painting portrays the wildcat nature of the two cubs permitted by their Mother as completely normal and necessary for their future roles as adult lions.