Packed with Pride

Damon King

Side by side,

moving as one.

Teaching each other,

moments of wild truth.

Through life’s Savanna, searching to survive.

Instead of hunting with attacking lies.

 

Golden sun basks our manes

that cover ageing backs.

Family,

Fickle quarrels for tough beasts.

Waiting–longing for the next chin scratch,

or a loving head pat.

 

Our bond, our language

That the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

As our pride is protected

from sunrise

to sunset

by darting shadows from our family tree.

 

We stalk patiently.

On Oasis dinner tables

We proudly dine.

As leftovers pass

From patriarch to matriarch

Then to us as grand felines.

 

If we do not own our name,

The family will surely fall.

In our Garden of Eden,

chaos may start to reign. 

Author: Damon King is a mature age student in the third and final year of a BFA in Creative Writing at QUT. Over the past decade, being an artist of mixed media owned and dominated the creativity side opposed to my writing. Street art and graffiti was the starting point, then came multiple exhibitions, studios, and showings on professional levels. Artwork being purchased and commissioned from all over the world while building up a healthy presence on social media and travel-got my name out there. My writing has just re-discovered itself in the past few years, and it has been an exciting ride so far, so I am very interested to see where this takes me… @skullcapper @5kullc4p @johnnymahogany F.B Skull Cap (Brisbane artist) 

Artist: Damon King

Edited by: David Uptin and Ashley Commens