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LEOPARD CAT
Draped over the porch railing
staring... glaring...
tail trailing
like a separate entity
fur dappled in the sun
The spots hypnotize,
mesmerize...
whirl and spin
and draw me in
to the jungle...
From the branch above
dangling like bait
the reptilian tail twitches
beckoning... the leopard waits.
Silently pulling paws
into pounce position
she freezes... power stifled
an arrow ready to fly,
eyes like the wrong end
of a double-barreled rifle...
Instead,
a coy flip of her head...
Intensity breaks
and floods with liquid spots
that pour from rump raised high
into stretching paws
that slice the branch
with switch-blade claws.
Like syrup, she pours down
landing without a sound.
Sleek, she slides around
tail caressing my calves
entwining my ankles
like soft shackles...
A nip on my bare toe
brings me back
into your purring presence.
Friend, not foe...
I think I'll feed you now.
ROAR
Through the river's canyon
It rolls like thunder
Starting one voice alone
Answered by another
Soon all in the dominion
Join the triumphant tone
It sounds the strength
And tells the majesty
Of kings and queens
And families
Of boundaries and societies
Like an orchestration
It fills the canyon
Rocks tremble, leaves quiver
With the pulsing power
Of pounding hearts, bellowing lungs
Drums of celebration
It sounds the love
And tells the sacrifice
Of mothers and daughters
The challenges
Of enemies, sons and fathers.
Then the thunder passes
And the crescendo
Dwindles to a solo
The brazen tempo slows
To final beats, muffled remnants
Of pleas voiced with vengeance
It sounds the freedom
And tells of pride
Unity and sovereignty
Nature's decree
Of survival and harmony
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CAT OF
TWO WORLDS
Clever kitty, straddling two
worlds
Claws sunk deep in a wild past
Tentatively retracting in a tamer present
Bridging both with fire and fur
Boldly staking your claim
In whichever serves you better
Though other's paw prints may be bigger
It is only in size, not in stature
Your wild spirit shines and thrives
Igniting deep behind your eyes
And burns as bright
As any tyger's In the night
And unlike your canine cousins
Who defected by the dozens,
Trading the wild fire
To lay at our hearth captive,
If companionship you deign to give
It is surely not for that you live
You allow us in your kingdom
And accept the luxury afforded
But never at the cost of freedom
You may be named
But never tamed
Whether out of need or just for fun
Hunter you were and one you'll remain
Ruling monarch of your domain.
TIGER SPIRIT (for
Shambala's Natasha) She
is here
I feel her presence
This jungle house she owned
Creaks with her memory...
She still walks it.
Stripes flash
In the ripples of water
She lapped,
Flicker in the bamboo shadows,
Peek out from the reeds
That line the lake.
Across the water,
Her rival reclines, bored
She misses the game...
I miss her.
The grounds are empty
But impressions remain
In the grass where she laid
On the paths that she walked
She is here
She is everywhere
Because in my heart
She is there.
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