Through the trees, a stranger lurks,
His amber fur a flame against the trees.
As he passes, the forest quietens,
It’s inhabitants serene.
The other animals scatter.
They fear the everything in the King:
The sheer power of his jaws,
His cunning, intelligent eyes,
How his attacks are always successful,
And the perfection in his disguise.
His paws crunch against the snow as
Fluent gold eyes search the land.
He creeps silently through the forest.
Ears twitching, tail steady
As he spots his quarry
Grazing in the bracken.
His powerful body,
Built for dynamism and stealth
Creeps ever nearer
To the fragile animal:
A green eyed, twitchy deer.
His eyes flashed intensely as he leaped;
The King’s pounce was fluid.
He brought the deer to it’s knees,
And it was over in seconds;
His jaws cut quick and clean.
His lonely feast was only short:
Because when he turned and
Met Man in the eye,
He didn’t have time to run.
The hunter raised his gun.
Another one paces a cage,
As beady, malignant eyes peer in at him.
He was once a King of his own land,
And now he was reduced to a spectacle,
Forced to take Man’s command.
Long forgotten was the taste of fresh air on his tongue
And freedom in his head
His once clever, burning eyes
Where now alone, pained, and dead.
His rage at Man was slowly building
As he roared in hate at them.
He was sick of being shamed.
He willed to taste freedom once more.
He decided to teach them the lesson:
The King can never be tamed.
The King is to be respected.
Wild and free he must always stay.
In his mighty roar he says:
“Man, take heed!
For the man who tries to take me,
For the man who attempts to cage me,
For the fool who dares to enslave me,
I take his life away.”
