Night wrapped in its own fears, embellish all
Predators leap out from their hiding haunts
Stand at the edge to breathe in
the beauty of shadows and silhouettes...
Other animals lie low in such growing hours
Stand at the edge to breathe in
the beauty of shadows and silhouettes...
Other animals lie low in such growing hours
The lazy bugs and critters settle down in their pits
The flitting fireflies, cries of the hyenas
sweep over the eerie surrounding...
Tiger,
the lover of the dark-
comes out on its prowl
waits on its haunches....immobile and silent
A timid, little deer suddenly singles out
…a ripple of speed disturbs the eerie stillness, and
Hunger draws a battle line …!
An old owl coughs, but let suffering take its toll
An old owl coughs, but let suffering take its toll
Repetition does not make things easier
Confident of his power
The tiger growls and cuts across the territory
Confident of his power
The tiger growls and cuts across the territory
takes a lead…
and closes in on its prey;
and closes in on its prey;
The poor deer rends the air
The body wriggles helplessly
within the claws for a few seconds
within the claws for a few seconds
Slowly, softly, it slides
on one side ...
The tiger carries the carcass home in its jaw
The tiger carries the carcass home in its jaw
Ah,
in a land of freedom -
No
one helps and lends a paw?
deathly
peace hangs over for sometime
and
then…, the last absurdity…
Darkness....
Darkness....
Shrouds
everything once again
Drops
of blood get washed in grey!
Shared with Sumana's Prompt :poets-united-midweek-motif-night
“Tiger, tiger burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?”
These
lines from William Blake’s The Tiger, bring to mind a fearsome creature whose
eyes, fiery and red, look out at you from the dark recesses of the forest.
Unfortunately for the tiger, it is an animal both feared and admired. Sometimes
it is easily loved and sometimes strongly mistrusted.
An
endangered species, the tiger is fighting for its survival in India. Half a century
ago India was home to about 40,000 tigers, but today there are as few as 1,400
tigers remaining in the country. In recent years, the conservation of the
species has been the watchword for many. Environmentalists, conservationists,
concerned citizens, schools and young students are rallying together to
protecting the tiger.
what an adventure reading this was! Kudos to this!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mandy ! It is heartening when appreciation finds its way to you…
DeleteThis is such a brilliant piece! I love how the lines from William Blake's poem inspired you to write this profound offering :D
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Sanaa
I'm so glad, Sanaa . I'm sending you a heart full of love. :) Thanks for that generous comment.
DeleteThis was some beautiful writing. The adventure, thrill and the detailing of the ambiance was beyond perfect.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to have connected with someone who shares my thoughts and validates them ...thank you, Purba for reading . Hope to see you more on these pages..
DeleteAiyai! The tiger in the night! But how could I not think of shootings by crazies? or, worse, of our police with guns preying on life when no one can help? An owl, a tiger, a vulture are carnivors. But are gunmen cannibals that they prey so?
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing as disgusting as people who torture, murder, and cannibalize ....In the past, humans have practiced cannibalism during stone age..The question of whether our ancestors ever used to feast on each other, or animals however, remains controversial. Thank you, Susan.Your presence gives me immense happiness. <3
DeleteYou've drawn from great inspiration here - your gory lines really capture a sense of what is being lost...great work!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Clair for reading ..and for the words of encouragement. Mighty pleased...:)))
DeleteIt is terribly sad there are so few tigers left and I hope somehow they can be helped to increase their numbers. You wrote a beautiful poem about this tiger. I could see him , hear the old owl coughing (brilliant!), and see the poor deer become the tiger's meal. Very vivid writing, Panchali. It was wonderful to read and envision.
ReplyDeleteI am so glad to have connected with someone who shares my thoughts and validates them on so many things. It is indeedis heartening when appreciation finds its way to you...sherry.Thank you for being you.:)
DeleteThis poem makes me feel sad for the tiger over and over again. "No one helps and lends a paw" really breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteYou picked up the best phrase here, Mary. The width of your perceptions are extremely enriching. Thanks a ton for sharing your thoughts. Comments from you make me truly happy :)) Thnq.
DeleteBravo... tiger conservation deserves all the support it gets. Hopefully we're not the last generation that spots the magnificent bengal tiger in the wild.
ReplyDeleteOh no!! I sincerely hope the next generation do get a chance to see this huge cat alive. I hope the goverment wakes up before it is too late, that! Thanks for being here, and I hope to see more of you here. I hope you can feel my gratitude- it's big. :))) Thanks a ton...
DeleteAh the night as the hunter and the hunted..and who won't love your coughing owl?every word grips the mind with awe..so beautifully done...
ReplyDeleteYou have blessed me beyond words todaywith your words of appreciation. . Thanks Sumana for that brilliant prompt. You know, I have a passion for collecting owl figurines... . You'll find different varieties in my place. There's one, in fact, here on the left side also if you have noticed. The widget inspires me :))) Thanks again..
DeleteBefore I read your postscript Tiger, tiger burning bright came to mind and 'No one helps and lends a paw?' - perhaps the same applies in the animal and human world
ReplyDeleteYou are right Jae! Human beings are worse!! Arghh..a good samaritan is hard to find these days...
Deletethanks for being here. Truly appreciate.
Truly enchanting piece, well done!
ReplyDeleteBlogoratti. Greetings and thanks for your comment! Hope to see you more on these pages..
DeletePowerful and really descriptive write that draws you in, well done.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your visit, Alan. Glad you enjoyed...:)
DeleteWhat an image of that tiger.. the night truly belongs to the predators.
ReplyDeleteBrudberg, I appreciate your kind comment. Nice to have you on here, thank you!
DeletePanachali,
ReplyDeleteA fantastic recount of the tiger and the night prowl to find prey..The place of freedom, but no-one would lend a paw..But, the tiger is only doing what nightfall suggests in its mind. Bringing home the prey..Sad to imagine how these animals may well be forever wiped out...
Eileen
Our tigers are driven to edge of extinction by poachers and loss of habitat, Eileen. This is a seriously sad and heart breaking issue. ...Thank you very much. I’m pleased you came here.
DeleteWhat a beautiful nature poem! I could so vividly witness each scene and found myself seeing the tiger both as hero and villain of the story. In truth he is neither - just a part of the mysterious puzzle, like us. So sad, the tiger is endangered. Glad there are many who are trying to help preserve his species.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is sad indeed, myrna!! Many conservationists fear that without drastic action, the only place the tiger will soon be found in India is in its zoos. :((
DeleteThankfully , Indian govt has woken up and I am sure, with the help of the conservationists, the roars of the jungles will continue to reverberate and never fade into death.
I appreciate your kind comment. Nice to have you on here always, thank you!
I too find you have conveyed nature's ways very powerfully. It is a pity we too are the predators, but predators who do not respect nature's balance.
ReplyDeleteOh, you couldn't have said it better, Gabrielle. We certainly cannot have peace among men whose hearts delight in killing any living creature. We are perhaps the worst kind.. :(
DeleteNice of you to visit, thank you!
Very vivid and the chills went down the spine.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you find it so, thank you for visiting, vandana! :)
DeleteThe jungle at night is not tge safest of places. Well written.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for dropping by with your meaningful comments, much appreciated, Meister!
Delete