The Men and the Tiger

Deep within the forest,

As patches of fog blow,

Fallen trees still laying down.

The majestic Sumatran tiger walks,

Through the eerie silence,

The tiger stalks among the trees,

Watching every gap and bush,

Sensing a new arrival.

A trio of men arrive,

Coming out of their rumbling truck.

Carrying axes as sharp as jaws,

Ready to do what they do.

Watching from my clifftop perch,

I watch silently from above,

Wishing I could jump down from the cliff,

And then face the men alone.

The tiger flinches and growls,

It crouches and shows its teeth,

But it flees and the men begin to chop,

And I can do nothing but watch and cry.