The awesome tiger walked close by, without a single clue, <br />For I was hidden, safe and dry and there my wonder grew. <br />This spectacle that few have seen and lived to tell the tale, <br />Was so majestic, so serene, perhaps an alpha male... <br />He strode this Earth as though a king, as if to be obeyed... <br />As if some tribute I should bring, his wrath to be outweighed. <br />As if the champion of the chase, instead of random chance, <br />His every move exuded grace, as if life were a dance. <br />His stripes were like Venetian blinds, like slit slats on his fur. <br />Up close, they were like warning signs, my death could soon occur. <br />My body, like a statue, stayed, immobile, locked in time... <br />The deadliest game I ever played was awesome, quite sublime. <br />He was the cat, I was the mouse... existing side-by-side. <br />The aim, of course, was just to browse. My eyes browsed open wide! <br />His body passed beyond my gaze, his tail swished left and right... <br />And with that parting of our ways, my heart filled with delight... <br />It was as if Death knew my name, yet couldn't claim me then! <br />I know I'll never be the same! Halleluyah... and... Amen! <br /> <br /> <br />The poem is based on the magnificent painting <br />by Stephen Gayford called 'Awesome'.<br /><br />Denis Martindale<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/awesome-3/
