Thursday, January 21, 2016

Tiger - A Poem





Black stripes on fur white orange & yellow
The mighty tiger is a gentle fellow
When all white he is a spectacle
A rare gene that is a miracle

Lives in the mysterious jungles of India
Completely hidden amid unexplored recess
Where the dense canopy accords no access
Invisible elusive & well concealed
He is forever evasive and on his heels

In ancient myths that unfold
A thousand stories are told
Of the Lord a ghostly marauder
Of the king a bloodthirsty exterminator

In belief a mystical kind
A jungle spirit hard to find
One that fears none at all
All the creatures big and small

He stalks invisibly in the night
Nary a sound nary a sight
He kills with impunity without a fight
In one strike powered by the beastly might

A snarl and deafening roars
A lightening charge always in store
All core of many a jungle lore
He kills not for fun but for need
On wild animals does he feed

A dreadful fear the beast invokes
Among those who dare to provoke
When he learns the taste of man
He is no more a gentlemen

He kills mercilessly near and far
In the day he strikes afar
Even in the night devoid of stars
Terror strikes with ferocious rage
Till he is shot or put in the cage

Of enormous proportions the beast
Of impressive agility & speed
An epitome of power and stealth
He is coveted by those with wealth
For fur claws and bones
They leave unturned no stones
A magical mystical beast indeed
He is frightening none the least

For hunters he is a trophy
For poachers he is a bounty
From hundred thousand to handful
The vanishing tiger is in a status dreadful
Critically endangered and fast loosing ground
The destiny awaits its final round

Save the tiger do not let him perish
From face of the Earth lest he vanish

Uday Patel

Photo Credits Teerath Singh

The Elusive Leopard


Yellow fur dotted with rosettes black
Painted like an artist's board to attract
He is the nature's star Lo behold
Handsome creature with striking features that on one look unfold

Leopard is the cynosure of all the eyes
A jungle spirit that depends on guise
An animal strong and very wise
He lives in the jungle to survive

Of cunning and guile and ferocity untold
The ghost of darkness is a predator very bold
He kills only to eat for he is a carnivore indeed
He hunts only herbivores and some birds to feed
That is the nature's design eat only what you need

He hides in the jungle in between rocks and canopy
Seldom seen the elusive cat is camouflaged to the tee
To hunt the unwary prey in the night
He uses stealth and complete surprise
He climbs trees with liquid ease
To save himself he often flees

Full of beauty and grace
With striking eyes on charming face
Smaller than his cousin the tiger
But equally strong and much wiser

The spots change are never the same
They have brought him name and fame
Poached for fur and game
Struggling to survive and loosing space
An animal labeled vermin and disgraced
The beast is facing his last days
He will be extinct for sure
Lest we mend our greedy ways

Save the leopard save his life
Give him space and let survive

 Uday Patel

Photo Credit Dharamagiri