JUNGLE

He was once a harmless lamb

Grazing by the hillside

Scampering to safety with his siblings

As the lion's roar reverberated

He could see the terror in his mother's eyes

As she tried to keep them safe

But he was surprisingly unafraid

It was that day he saw her

The prettiest cub in the Amazon

Her confidence bewitched him

Her eyes charmed him

He left the flock, never to return

Trailing her as she moved with her siblings

She kept looking back

Soon they were walking side by side

'You look different,' she said

Her name was Dorie

His bleats made her laugh

She said it sounded like music

They became best friends

As they approached the den

He heard a familiar roar

Dorie's dad had sighted him from afar

He simply followed her lead

King lion roared again, glaring at him

He stood his ground and smiled

'He is different, Dad,' she said

And he became family

Lost the taste  for milk and grass

Blood and flesh were more satisfying

He mastered the art of hunting

Learnt to run faster than a gazelle

He grew the semblance of a mane

He could not roar, but his bleat sounded omnious

To celebrate his coming of age

He was taken by the pride to the hillside

To hunt for the main kill

He pursued an aged sheep and pounced on it

As his hoof smashed into her face

He saw that familiar terrified look

It was his mother

The pride of lions gathered chanting his name

In one swift move, she was torn into pieces

Her flesh tasted different in his mouth

Dorie found him outside the den

Staring blankly into the jungle

He had confided in her

Her response came in a soft whisper

'Eat, or be eaten'

©Kelvin Alaneme, 2014. Follow on Twitter @dr_alams.