Night Watchman, Too Poem by Denis Martindale

When big cats pause in self-defence
And harken to each sound,
It's then they think of foes, not friends,
Nearby that lurk around...
And when night comes and moonlight glows,
The big cats stand alert,
Because you see, not one yet knows
If they, too, could get hurt...

Imagine darkness like a shroud,
A wall against the light,
With all the dangers then allowed,
The creatures that could bite...
Some hunt alone, some form a team,
Some run, while others fly,
The slightest sound, no chance to dream,
Then fear's in full supply...

Then hearts beat faster for a while,
Though silence may return,
What's happening in that square mile?
What chance is there to learn?
To slink away, or wait it out,
To climb a tree, then hide?
Survivors choose, outlive the doubt,
The rest, of course, have died...


Denis Martindale December 2016.


A poem based on a magnificent Stephen Gayford
wildlife painting. Google search phrases
gayford prints and Stephen Gayford poetry
and also for Heaven and Earth Designs...