I move with stealth, assurance
Muscles taunt beneath striped coat
Footpads softly caress the ground
My home
My sanctuary
The grasslands and forests of India
Men refer to me as Bengal
They wish to trap the predator
Sieze my freedom
Place me in a cage
I would rather be mounted on their wall
My brothers and sisters
Pace within their prisons
Lifeless meat placed at their feet
Not wild buffalo
Where is the deer, the wild pig
No thrill of the hunt
No honor
Life without balance
Eyes that have lost their fire
Oppressors and their children
look through bars or plexiglass windows
What can they truly see
Just a shadow of beauty
A glimmer of strength
They do not witness one like me
Powerful
Ferocious
Regal
I am Bengal
I am meant to be free
I will fight to remain
The master of this land
Come witness me here
I'm not in a cage
So I say beware
Don't come too near
For Regina's Animal poem contest.
Categories:
footpads, nature,
Form: Personification