“In The Hush Of The Jungle” Farida Haque acrylic on canvas

Hunger Is His Only Enemy

~ sinew and flesh, tooth and claw ~

In viridescent depths of the jungle

as if it were an eye of an emerald,

his own eyes on fire,

the lion crouches.

A hush descends —

the king is hunting.

Far away,

he hears a rustle.

Tenses,

waits, tail swishing.

His golden mane

like many threads of the sun

ripples in wet breath of expectant trees.

Hunger is his only enemy.

With a roar of a thousand thunderclaps

he leaps upon his prey,

an antelope,

and snaps its neck

as if it were porcelain.

Farida Haque

Jk Mansi Jeff Suwak Guérin Asante Stephen M. Tomic Shringi Kumari WysWoman (Jean Kennerson) Michelle Monet Tre L. Loadholt Vaishali Paliwal Jack Preston King