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DARK NIGHT, NO MOON IN VIEW
BUT THRU THE JUNGLE SHE MOVES,
SILENTLY, ON HUGE PADDED FEET
HER QUEST BEGINS.
EARS ALERT, YELLOW EYES GLEAM
JAWS OPEN, TEETH SHARP
SALIVA DRIPS IN
ANTICIPATION OF THE NIGHT.
SHE HAS HER CUBS
HIDDEN SAFELY AND
TONIGHT, THEY MUST EAT
SHE MOVES FORWARD.
NO SOUND MUST BETRAY
HER LETHAL APPROACH
A GOLDEN SNAKE SLITHERS AWAY
THE NIGHT BIRDS WATCH HER.
SHE STOPS AT A SHALLOW POOL
TO QUENCH HER THRIST
HER EYES EVER WATCHFUL
HER STRIPED TAIL, FLICKS.
SUDDENLY, SHE SEES...IT
ACROSS THE POOL.....ALONE
SHE WATCHES, YELLOW EYES NARROW
HER WHOLE BEING IS IN READINESS.
SHE IS.......CLOSING IN
SILENTLY......MOVING NOW
THE MOON REVEALS ITSELF
FROM BEHIND A DARK CLOUD.
THE PRIMATIVE FORCE WITHIN
URGES HER TOWARD THE MARK
HER PULSE RATE INCREASES
ALL HER MUSCLES TENSE.
NOW...........SWIFTLY
SHE LEAPS UPON THE PREY
SINKING HER MASSIVE TEETH
INTO THE SOFT WARM FLESH.
A MOURNFUL CRY ISSUES FORTH
TERRIBLE....IN IT'S LAMENT
LARGE BROWN EYES STARE
OUT IN TERROR AT HER.
THE STRUGGLE IS SHORT
THE VICTIM FALLS LIMP
IN THE JAWS OF THE TIGER
WHO MUST FEED HER CUBS.
MONKEYS SCURRY THRU THE TREES
FEARING THEY TOO MAY FALL
VICTIMS TO THE MIGHTY
JUNGLE HUNTRESS.
NOW THE TREK BACK BEGINS
HER CUBS ARE...ALONE
THEIR LINE OF DEFENSE
IS AWAY FROM THEIR SIDE.
THEY ARE AFRAID, ALSO
AND HUDDLE TOGETHER
FOR THE SECURITY OF
THEIR OTHER SIBLING.
LIFE IS TENUOUS HERE
DANGER LURKS ALL AROUND
ONLY THE MOTHER TIGER
CAN PROTECT THEM.
THE HUNTRESS MOVES ALONG
BRINGING WITH HER THE PRIZE..
THE CUBS WILL EAT TONIGHT
THIS IS THE WAY IT IS!
BACK ALONG THE PATH SHE TRAVELS
DRAGGING....THE STILL WARM PREY
NO ONE WILL TAKE IT FROM HER
NO ONE DARE EVEN TRY.
SHE IS ALMOST HOME NOW
SHE HAS DONE WELL TONIGHT
SHE DROPS THE PREY
SHE CALLS TO HER CUBS.
THEY HURRY FROM THE HIDING PLACE
THEIR JOY OF SEEING HER
IS OVERTAKEN BY THEIR HUNGER
THEY ALL SETTLE DOWN TO FEED.
LATER, THE MOTHER LICKS HER PAWS
AND CLEANS THE FACES OF HER CUBS
WITH A ROUGH BUT GENTLE TONGUE
THE BLOOD IS GONE NOW.
BUT IN A FEW DAYS,
WITH PRIMORDIAL INSTINCTS
THE TIGER WILL ROAM
AND JUNGLE WILL SEE, AGAIN...
THE EYE OF THE TIGER!!
SKYANGEL © APRIL 1997
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