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Poetry

This is the winning entry in the "Poetry" section

poe18:My Kruger - My Paradise

by Mandy Taplin



Let me describe my paradise...

I awake in the darknesss
Awaiting you to break the silence
For yours is the song that beckons the dawn

And as each joins the chorus
Their calls reverberate across the Savannah
At waterhole striped mother and fawn

Before his body is exposed to the heat
He slides his massiveness into the dam
Breaking the surface with satisfied snort

Rummaging around on bent knees
He seeks new shoots for his feed
His protruding tusks and bulging wart

She extends her elegant neck
And gracefully tackles the thorns
Enjoying the succulence within her reach

Blended as one with the mottled bark
He waits for a morsel to pass him by
His hands joined together as if in preach

I sit here engrossed with beauty
Totally absorbed in this National Park
As the sun begins to rise

I survey my surroundings
Watching for the slightest movement
Searching for their penetrating eyes

As the coolness of the morning
Evaporates into the scorching noon
Refuge is found in the shadows of shade

I embrace these moments
As I allow my soul to heal
Re-energise this mind so frayed

The frogs begin their croaking
As dusk settles over the mountains
The predators rouse ready for the hunt

Their terrifying roars are the signal
Of the gruesome turn of events
That will satisfy the prides want

As the moon is obscured by cloud
She maneuvers her spotted body
Stealthily she makes her attack

Excitedly laughing they follow death
For they will poach and scavenge
From those that strength will lack

Leaving the protection of the burrow
He scurries unperturbed probing the mound
His protective ball, armoured, ideal

Her flight is with gaping mouth
Dappled feathers glint in the dark
As she seizes her stunned meal

I sit here engrossed with beauty
Totally absorbed this National Park
As the night begins to flourish

I survey the charcoaled sky
Watching for that shooting star
And make an unspoken wish

 

Authors note:
Inspired by sightings at Kruger National Park
Stanza 2, Zebra
Stanza 3, Hippo
Stanza 4, Warthog
Stanza 5, Giraffe
Stanza 6, Praying mantis
Stanza 12, Lions
Stanza 13, Leopard
Stanza 14, Hyena
Stanza 15, Pangolin
Stanza 16, Nightjar