You Talking To Me! ? Poem by Denis Martindale

The solitary meerkat stood, alone for none to see,
But then, within his neighbourhood, another came to be.
The second meerkat made its way across the dusty land,
Then all at once, it chose to say what meerkats understand.
The solitary meerkat stared, as if with disbelief,
As nothing on this Earth compared with new friends to receive.
And so these two became close friends, each with a winsome smile,
And every day before it ends, they rest in peace a while.

Contentment is a wondrous gift, as it grants harmony,
It gives each heart and mind a lift beyond serenity,
A mellow state that's borne of bliss, and friendships thought divine,
And truly something each would miss, if it's not yours and mine.
And that's the reason I explore what Nature can provide,
To go with camera, out on tour, to search both far and wide.
To take a snapshot now and then, beyond the scenery,
When I see friendships once again in wildlife near to me.

Sometimes, through families I find, as if a group or clan,
Come memories that spring to mind, of benefit to Man,
That stir within my loneliness, to ask why I'm alone,
Can I find, too, someone to bless, someone to call my own?
Or must I stay the silent guy, no compliments to speak?
I'm not alone in asking why, I know I'm not unique.
It's surely not too hard a task to meet somebody grand!
Two happy meerkats made me ask, what has the Lord got planned?


Denis Martindale, for the 19th of November 2023.


The poem is based on the magnificent painting
of UK wildlife artist Stephen Gayford that shows
a solitary meerkat taken aback when he hears a
brand new meerkat voice that could completely
end his loneliness in that bleak and dusty land...