The Lion's Tale
A LION’S TALE
The lion told the bear
This jungle we can share
If you eat only honey and fish
For bees, I fear and fish, I don’t relish
Although I love to play in water
I stay far from the hippo’s daughter
For she is very heavy, you see
And forgets her weight, in moments of glee
Though in the jungle, I’m king
I fear thunder and streaks of lightning
But I do love the pitter -patter of rain
Although only from the shelter of my den
Swishing my tail, pacing to and fro
Sometimes, I just let myself go
And the jungle trembles when it hears me roar
It knows, for some reason, I am mad or sore
Seeing my golden mane glinting in the sun
The monkeys fall silent and stop having fun
Though I love them and their mischievous ways
I don’t let on; a little distance always pays
I have some friends from younger days,
Bristles the porcupine and an elephant called Mace
We meet, deep in the jungle, overlooking a creek
In a secluded place, about once a week
We laze and chat till fall of night
When we part, I wave till they are out of sight
Then alone through the forest, I return to my den
And the next morning, I sleep till well past ten
When pangs of hunger, through the belly course
I know it’s time to use some force
It is normal for a king to track and hunt
A bachelor who lives with a frail old aunt
I recall, during younger days, we learnt
To stalk and hunt with mommy and aunt
They taught us well and to choose with care
And after the kill, the meal to share
Endless games of pounce, we’d play
With the swishing tail of mother, as she lay
With flies a buzzing in the summer heat
Snapping at them with our sharp little teeth
We were a family of young and old
A pride, we were called, very proud and bold
Haughty was our dad; we feared our father
And naughty were we with our aunts and mother
Many times in our reign, we have to marry
And for the wives to hunt is customary
They hunt together – it’s safer for them
That’s why, by tradition, we maintain a harem
I am king by destiny
Serious am I for the world to see
I must never be seen to enjoy triviality
Governing a kingdom is big responsibility
Copyright © Sumit Majumdar | Year Posted 2012
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