User:Arthropleura/writing/poem/Outcast

Outcast

As I follow the scent trail Of the prey I seek, My head is filled with images— My territory being taken; Hundreds of yellow monsters Ripping up the earth; The gazelle, the zebra All disappearing; And I, a former ruler, Am exiled to an enemy’s territory.

I push these images out of my mind. I will not let them distract me. For if I make a sound I will go hungry again. I burst out of the grass And sprint towards my prey, But I collapse before I can catch it. I cannot gather the strength to pursue. Throughout the night I lie there Wondering what will happen to me.

When I awake I am trapped inside a strange cave With shiny sticks blocking the only exit. The floor is cold and hard And there is no sun to warm my body. I hear the sounds of men outside the cave, And I crouch in the corner Preparing to defend myself. I hear myself snarl Then the men running towards the cave. I see one remove the sticks and come in. As he approaches me I lash out and strike. I hear him scream, then a sudden bang And I feel myself fall to the ground. Is that blood coming from my chest Staining my spotted fur? And then I remember Men coming after my mother with roaring sticks. I remember the sudden bang And my littermates and I were alone. My brothers and sisters perished, But I survived. And now, the last of my family I feel my growing weaker And then I die.