Scanning The Skies
The mighty meerkat, to his friends,
Was humbly standing guard!
With vigilance that never ends,
For each must play his part!
Don't think that staring up above
Is easy all day long...
Yet his sore neck will prove his love,
If he has patience strong...
The mighty meerkat, to his mates,
Alerts when danger's near,
Then, oh, what panic he creates!
They scarper off in fear!
But until then, the meerkats roam,
Contented as can be...
Until it's time to hide at home
And snigger helplessly!
The mighty meerkat, to his pals,
Protects from predators,
The hero of the meerkat gals,
Whatever fate occurs...
They look at him, so noble there,
Defiant, proud and wise!
Yet all he does is stand and stare,
Merely scanning the skies!
Denis Martindale, copyright, August 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Scanning The Skies'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Good Mother
The mighty meerkat family
Preserves both young and old,
Good mother love humility,
Good father strong and bold...
Good children learning what they can
Within their happy home,
Yes, such as these are blessed by Man,
Wherever we may roam...
Good mother love preserves the peace,
When squabbles come to call,
Good father disciplines don't cease,
Some wisdom to install...
We see the mighty meerkats stand
Like watchmen on the tower,
United in their steadfast band,
Protecting every hour...
Good mother guidance at its height
Can melt each meerkat's frown...
So one looks left and one looks right
And one looks up and down...
Togetherness can bless their lives,
So they see eye-to-eye.
The mighty meerkat still survives,
Though centuries fly by...
Denis Martindale, copyright, February 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Good Mother'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Sentry Duty
The mighty meerkat made his stand,
No matter, come what may,
As if to say, 'Talk to the hand!
You'd best be on your way! '
With no regard for his own life,
He boldly stood his ground,
Against each foe who would arrive
He gives his warning sound!
On sentry duty, so to speak,
His eyes looked everywhere,
His ears alert to every creak
That crossed the very air...
His whiskers twitching now and then,
His every nerve on edge...
His instincts tuned beyond our ken
As he stood on that ledge...
The mighty meerkat! What a guy!
One of the chosen few!
Both feeling good and feeling spry!
A hero through and through!
Content to do his very best!
Content to bide his time...
He's there to see his friends stay blessed...
He's utterly sublime...
Denis Martindale, copyright, June 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Sentry Duty'.
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The Sentinel
As if he were a statuette,
The meerkat struck a pose,
Without a frown, without a fret,
Serene with upturned nose...
He was like some superhero,
Cape blowing in the breeze,
While he stood firm, looked high and low,
With no thought to appease...
The meerkat was the Sentinel -
The first to raise alarm,
Called on to be reliable,
So others could stay calm...
He was the Captain in control,
The General standing guard,
The Brigadier whose heart and soul
Kept vigil long and hard.
The Sentinel's experience
Helped others take their ease
And through maintained resilience,
He stood steadfast for peace.
One meerkat can make the difference!
A hero through and through...
If he can take a noble stance,
Then why on Earth can't you! ?
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'The Sentinel'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Guardians Of The Den
Behold the untamed meerkats there
Now side-by-side on guard,
As if the whole wide world to dare,
As if all else were barred...
Each stare's just meant to make it clear,
'Clear off, the lot of you!
There's no-one here who wants you here!
So you know what to do! '
Bravado's such a wondrous thing
In ones as small as these,
As if to leave us wondering,
Can they do as they please?
For each one's a tiny meerkat
And not that tall in height!
So who are they, to make us scat,
To scarper left and right?
To you and I, they're not that strong,
Courageous, yes, but weak,
To fight with them would just seem wrong,
Their faces look so meek...
Let's let them be all they can be,
Just visit now and then,
So we can come back soon to see
The guardians of the den...
Denis Martindale, copyright, December 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Guardians Of The Den'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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On Guard
It's no good sitting on the fence,
Complaining life's too hard!
For surely it would make more sense
If you remained on guard! ?
Like meerkats do, the whole day long,
Regardless of the cost,
Defiant 'gainst the giant throng,
Refusing to be bossed!
Two meerkats faced their mighty foes,
Their whiskers all a-twitch!
Yet knowing they'd not come to blows,
'Cos they could swiftly switch!
Like lightning streaks across the sky,
Or comets chasing stars!
They'd leave their foes still asking, 'Why? '
Still standing, facing grass!
You may not be a meerkat, friend...
With dugouts underground,
But there are tactics you can lend,
Defences all around...
Some extra locks, some smoke alarms
And some insurance, too...
They're bound to ease your sweaty palms!
So think like meerkats do!
Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2010.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'On Guard'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Back To Back
Back to back, there stood two meerkats,
Just staring into space,
As if they looked like scruffy brats
Who had no poise or grace...
Yet each meerkat found affection
And mutual respect,
To gaze off in each direction
With peace you can't neglect.
As they leaned against each other,
Just taking in the day,
Were these two father and mother
To little ones at play?
Perhaps they stood there tired out,
Without the strength to move...
Plum-tuckered out to run about
And now stuck in a groove...
Suffice to say, they made me smile...
Life's no long drawn out thrill.
Sometimes you need to rest a while
And just take time to chill...
It's nice to let the world go by,
Watch fluffy clouds sail past...
You'll never hear a meerkat sigh
Who's found true love at last...
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Back To Back'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Group Hug
The meerkats looked and looked and looked,
But nothing was in sight!
Yet all day long, the sun had cooked
And fried and fried and fried!
They'd stood their ground, while standing tall,
Through teamwork, each was safe...
When evening came, I watched them all,
Defiant, noble, brave...
Then suddenly, they huddled close,
Like bugs upon a rug...
Now crouched up tight, each cuddled nose
Caressed in their group hug!
I've never seen the like before!
So intimate, so sweet...
A parable I'll not ignore:
Love makes our lives complete!
I'm not the sort to cuddle folks!
Most folks don't seem to care!
I'd be the butt of countless jokes,
If I should ever dare!
Yet should I envy the meerkat,
With friends on every side?
Oi, you! Watch out! Whose foot was that?
Be careful, pal... all right?
Denis Martindale, copyright, September 2010.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Group Hug'.
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Always Awake
Three meerkats perched on yonder rock,
Their transfixed eyes steadfast,
Their predators, of course, to block,
No chance that they'd get past...
Alert, on guard, thoughts kept in check,
Three meerkats stood their ground,
Perchance to see a distant speck
Or hear a far-off sound...
No uniform could represent
The valour in plain sight,
For family and sentiment,
Right there in broad daylight...
Defiant to the uttermost,
Resilient through and through,
As if some great eternal boast,
'We'll stay on guard for you! '
Three meerkats, simple souls, no more,
Yet bold as brass each day,
That's something we'd best not ignore -
Courageous, come what may!
Stand tall, like meerkats throughout time,
Like heroes, know your place!
That way, you'll always be sublime...
No matter what you face!
Denis Martindale, copyright, May 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Always Awake'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Attentive
When meerkats stand and stare and stare,
Attentive they must be,
As if to prove how much they care
For friends and family...
No wonder, then, they gain respect,
From humans far and wide,
As from such duties none neglect
As they stand side-by-side...
Their little eyes are on alert,
Their little minds on guard,
In hopes that none of them get hurt,
For tragedies hit hard...
While other meerkats scampered near
As if life seemed a ball,
Two meerkats stood, no sign of fear,
Merely surveying all...
In time, some others would replace
And give these guys a rest,
For now, they stood there, poker face,
Content to do their best...
Two heroes there, one young, one old,
Four eyes as black as soot
And theirs the story to be told
Because their hearts were good...
Denis Martindale, copyright, April 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Attentive'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Contented Mother
Behold the truth in black and white,
Two Pandas truly blessed,
Together, what a wondrous sight,
No wonder we're impressed!
There's the mother, so contented,
As proud as proud can be...
There's the baby there, presented,
For all the world to see!
To think, the mother's lived so long,
Endangered though she is,
Yet now her hopes are oh so strong,
Her heart's now filled with bliss...
Her baby's barely got a clue,
Yet peace seems everywhere,
A tender touch says, 'I love you! '
For true love's in the air!
Yet each father, mother, baby
Needs something to be done!
Each Panda has a destiny,
If Man protects each one...
Consider wildlife charities,
Can you provide support?
The chiefest of all remedies
Is that we spare a thought...
Denis Martindale, copyright, August 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Contented Mother'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Three Sentries
They also serve who stand and wait...
And meerkats know this well,
For them, well, life's just great, just great,
As if you couldn't tell.
It's funny that they'll stare and stare
And watch the day go by...
From predators they must beware,
For some can even fly!
Their little noses twitched away
Mid whiskers to and fro...
While they kept poses, come what may,
No matter what the foe!
Like shepherds guarding flocks by night,
They simply stood their ground...
While one looked left and one looked right
And one looked round and round...
Three sentries stood the test of time,
Comparing now and then,
Their loyalty was quite sublime,
Enough to shame some men!
With throbbing tootsies they stood tall,
Defiant, unafraid...
As if each were a sentinel
That God Himself had made...
Denis Martindale, copyright, August 2010.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Three Sentries'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
denis-martindale-dot-blogspot.com
poem by Denis Martindale
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Pillow Talk
When meerkats taunt their predators,
They lounge upon the ground...
As if to say, 'You can't catch us!
We each hear every sound...
And we've got eyes that see for miles,
Each day from east to west...
You'll always see us full of smiles,
As we know we're the best! '
That's why the meerkats feel so close
And cuddle up real tight...
They know it aggravates their foes,
From whom they soon take flight!
'Yeah, bring it on! Come, on, just try!
Just see how far you get!
We're feeling great! We're feeling spry!
We're really not upset! '
The meerkats smirked as meerkats do,
To them, it's one long laugh!
They take the longterm point of view
And don't do things by half...
Together now, they're quite a team,
All cosy lying there...
They're proud to be living the dream,
With sunshine everywhere...
Denis Martindale, copyright, October 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Pillow Talk'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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The Sublime
The leopard left his sleep behind,
Arose and walked around
And with that walk his waking mind
Was glad at what he found...
The sun was shining in the sky,
A wondrous breeze drew near
And yet not once did he ask why
Such blessings should appear...
And yet this world is so sublime,
In every single part
And blessed are they that spend their time
In painting perfect art...
Think of all creatures... great and small...
That artists sit and paint,
Yet Stephen Gayford, he stands tall,
To some, he is a saint...
He captures insights when on tour,
He gets each detail done
And then he thrills us to the core
And shares his sense of fun...
From meerkats to the giant cats,
Fantastic dolphins, too!
He paints them like aristocrats...
Sublime... each time... for you...
Denis Martindale, copyright, August 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'The Sublime'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Regal Pair
The lion and the lioness
Posed like a regal pair,
So noble that they both impress,
So dashing, debonair...
So stately and so statuesque,
Each blessed to be born free,
So quite correct and picturesque
With awesome majesty...
Their eyes are like black diamonds there,
In circles made of gold
And who knows what those eyes could share,
If secrets should be told?
Yet those eyes see much more than land,
Their kingdom they survey
And their domain is mighty grand,
Protected night and day...
So have a care, don't wander near,
Don't think they welcome friends,
Don't stand too close, you'll shake with fear,
Perhaps with no defence...
Binoculars may have to do,
If you must stop and stare...
To tell the truth, I can't blame you...
They're such a regal pair...
Denis Martindale, copyright, November 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Regal Pair'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Close Family II
The meerkats posed together close,
All staring straight ahead,
Each youngster with a twitching nose
Though healthy and well fed.
Their beady eyes like polka dots,
Were blinking all the time,
Yet they were cherished tiny tots
And thought of as sublime...
Some families are known to part,
To wander far and wide,
Yet meerkats haven't got the heart,
So they stand side-by-side.
Together, like the China wall,
United, good as gold!
It's all for one and one for all,
Like musketeers of old...
If only humans were the same,
All friendly as can be,
Not seeking wealth, not seeking fame,
Just glad that they were free.
Just sharing what God gave Mankind,
This Earth that spins in space...
Like meerkats, I believe we'd find
A smile on every face...
Denis Martindale, copyright, April 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Close Family II'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Flat Out
The sun was mighty warm today!
The lioness concurred...
She found a pleasant rock to lay,
A spot that she preferred...
And then she sort of melted there...
And with that rock was one,
Such that she simply didn't care
About that sizzling sun...
Her heavy eyelids flickered still,
Some consciousness to keep,
As if a final act of will
Before she slipped to sleep...
Her breathing in and breathing out
Were simply not the same
And should there be a single doubt,
She'd swear, the sun's to blame!
Flat out, she was, her tail as well,
Like one long stretch of string...
As if the victim of a spell,
She couldn't do a thing!
The mighty huntress met her match!
Flat out, for all to see...
And there she stayed, some sleep to snatch,
From noon till half-past-three...
Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2012.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Flat Out'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Restful
White tigers haven't much to say,
When flat out on the chin...
'It's been a long, long, long, long day...
I'm pooped! It's done me in! '
So there he was, eyes almost closed,
Quite restful... dozing off...
And now no longer quite disposed
To act as if a toff!
Aristocrats must also sleep,
When into beds they climb...
To yawn again and breathe in deep,
When it's their beddy-time!
White tigers may be very rare,
But they can't beat the clock!
A tiger's eye can stare and stare
Till moonshine it must block...
Tomorrow's just another day,
Who knows what it might bring?
For now the big white cat must lay,
Like any other king...
I've never heard a tiger snore...
I'd never get that near!
But if I did, I'd shake his paw
And scarper, never fear!
By day, to him, I'd raise my hat
And meekly gently bow...
Good night, you furry fluffy cat!
You're not so mighty now...
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Restful'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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River Patrol
The tiger tip-toes here and there
As he goes on patrol,
Close to the river's edge aware
Of every living soul.
Assessing ones that he could catch,
If he should prove his worth,
Avoiding ones that are his match
And giving them wide berth...
He's in no hurry for a while,
And yet he's on the prowl...
For now he wears a smirk, a smile,
Till these become a scowl...
It's too late then to run away,
To scamper off and hide...
Too late if you've become his prey,
So don't cling on to pride...
Don't dilly-dally like a clown!
Don't play the fool, my friend!
Play safe or else he'll hunt you down,
On that you can depend!
Head for the hills or trees somehow,
Don't stick around for fun!
If I were you, I'd scarper NOW!
While you've got time to RUN!
Denis Martindale, copyright, January 2011.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'River Patrol'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Close Protection
Their close protection suits them best
And that's what each provides,
For meerkats live to help the rest,
To make sure peace abides...
What use is life, if constant fears
Condemn us day-by-day?
What use is life, if all our years
Condemn us in that way?
The sentinels are now on guard!
Their eyes are everywhere!
No single clue can they discard!
Approach them if you dare!
You'll tire first, make no mistake...
Escape routes all around...
So give up now, for goodness sake!
You can't dig underground...
They'll snigger as you scratch the dirt,
Frustrated to the hilt!
They'll giggle as your claws get hurt,
For you're not that well built!
They'll wait you out till you concede
And lamely walk away...
Then they'll stand tall, on guard, take heed!
They'll never be your prey!
Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2010.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Close Protection'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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Full Attention
The tiger took his merry time
Wading in the water...
Why shouldn't he? It felt sublime,
Perfectly in order...
So he went up and he went down
And he went left and right
And though each stripe looked like a frown,
His joy was at its height...
This is the life, he seemed to say,
Nothing else quite like it!
No hurry to be on his way,
In truth, he must admit!
Up to his neck in Shangri-La,
Nirvana, Heaven, peace...
It wasn't likely he'd go far,
When he could take his ease.
Did it have his full attention?
Yes, he felt comfy there...
Had he lost all apprehension?
He didn't have a care!
No point in leaving for a while...
So he felt mighty glad...
If anything can make you smile,
Like him, get stuck in, lad...
Denis Martindale, copyright, July 2010.
The poem is based on the magnificent painting
by Stephen Gayford called 'Full Attention'.
More Stephen Gayford poems here:
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poem by Denis Martindale
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