Stephen Gayford, Drawn To Paint! Poem by Denis Martindale

The other day, I recognised
The animals folks paint,
Some animals are highly prized,
While others may look quaint!

Some animals are just plain weird
And not the sort to share,
And now we've got this matter cleared,
We're even more aware!

Stephen could paint a jaguar,
He could paint a jackal,
And yet he chose the feline star
As the one to tackle!

Stephen could paint a racing horse,
Or paint a moo-moo cow,
And yet he chose to stay on course,
As if he must somehow!

Stephen could paint an elephant,
Or paint a kangaroo,
And yet he chose the giant friend,
For what else could he do?

Stephen could paint a chimpanzee,
Or paint a scary bat,
And yet he chose the chimp with glee,
And knew he must do that!

Stephen could paint a fallow deer,
Or paint a centipede,
And yet he chose what seemed most clear
To help him to succeed.

Stephen could paint a tall giraffe,
Or pause to paint a fly,
And yet he chose to stop and laugh
And let the fly fly by!

Yes, Stephen chose his subjects well,
The rest he gave a rest!
Yes, Stephen Gayford, we can tell,
You chose what you liked best!


Denis Martindale. For the 17th of May 2026.


Here is a wildlife poem by the Poemhunter poet Denis Martindale. It is titled 'Stephen Gayford, Drawn To Paint! ' and it shows that Stephen chose his favourite animals. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! That is why each painting was a tribute to their beauty or their character. Whether it was a big cat or a meerkat, he painted each one with a sincere respect for all of God's creatures. It's like the hymn says, 'All creatures great and small. The Lord God made them all.' Stephen's pictures are being sold in their thousands even now. In fact, here in the UK, eBay is still providing me with even more paintings he did that I've never seen before!