Waiting For Nightfall Poem by Denis Martindale

Lionesses waiting for nightfall...
Time slipping by... so slow...
Twilight beckons them, with its call,
Bidding them soon to go.
'Come, my ladies, our time draws near,
When yonder sun must part
And silver moon must then appear,
The midnight dance to start...
Enchantments wait in shadows still,
When spirits roam the land...
Yet none of these can share the thrill
Of what tonight has planned...
This evening's sky will say goodbye
And darkness rules once more...
Then silvered twinkling eyes will spy
The truth behind each roar!
Behold the night! The fearsome thing!
When Nature's secrets hide
And creatures that can bite and sting
Won't sleep until they've tried...
Come, my ladies, our time is close,
We hunt for food in pairs...
If not, we starve, death overthrows
And ends our night affairs...
Our solemn business soon begins...
Our partnership persists...
May God forgive us for our sins...
As long as each exists...'


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Waiting For Nightfall'.