Tiger is Tiger

Muscular I took the tiger’s tail in hand
As his stripe in terrible elegance flashed
Into view, in the sun, in the tall, tall grass
Me at my prime – just past my prime – and confident
I owned the gift of taming still…

But still

Tiger is tiger, and man is man
And man, I did the best deluded can
‘Til he ran away and away he ran.
I looked around to reassure me, friends
Had each eluded the talon’s tear