Lion Kings
At first, in the animal kingdom of the land
Rules were few –
Individuals solved problems on their own,
But as life became busier and more complicated
And interactions between species more quarrelsome,
A convocation of creatures was called
To choose a leader to make difficult decisions
And enact laws.
But who should it be?
A great eagle was convinced to sail the skies
To inspect different species and judge
Which was best to lead, with his eagle eye.
A tiresome task and many hours passed,
The eagle had just decided to return
And suggest the elephant,
When the bird spied a lion crouched on a promontory
Whose golden mane seemed to shine
As if his hair was a crown
In the rays of the slanting sun.
What a powerful and noble looking beast,
The eagle thought and flew back
To advise the other animals
That a lion should lead them.
Now the lion knew that the lioness
Of the pride
Was a better hunter, organizer and leader,
But when your fellow species ask you to lead
How can you refuse?
And thus lions everywhere became
Lords of the Jungles,
Kings of the Forests
Sultans of the Savannas.
There were good kings, but most were not.
How do I know? Look at the results.
Today, there are fewer lions and elephants
And most all other animals of the land,
And there are fewer savannas, forests
And jungles, too.
The moral is:
Beware, take care
And do not elect leaders
Based solely on hair.
Carl Scott Harker ©2024
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My latest book of poetry is now available on Amazon. Each page features great cat art and an original poem. You can find it here: The Happy Cat and other Illustrated Poems.