They rank in the kingdom of felines to be
\nKings of their jungle all roaming free
\nOf noble extraction distinctively so
\nBack into ancestry long long ago
\nIt was about courage their dominance too
\nTheir bloodstock was genuine and remains true
\nThey had the respect and they stood for something
\nAll self reliant hence the great King<\/p>\n
But there’s an absurdity a vagary
\nGo back to the Chinese through their history
\nBack to the MING the MING Dynasty
\nthe Guardian Lions all protecting they be
\nIn Imperial Palaces tombs and temples where
\nFrom the Han dynasty more then did share
\nA dominant feature one of respect
\nPowerful and mythic sculptors did elect
\nTo signify these strengths these powers
\nAnd they
\nWere stationed in front keeping evil
\naway<\/p>\n
It was the representation of a being
\nWho would fight to the death and just be all seeing
\nThis was their role crowned king of kings
\nThey took their charge and were not in the wings
\nTheir courage was evident all felt the power
\nA great source of light camouflaged on the hour
\nTheir roar was impressive it shook the whole scene
\nAnd people in ear shot would always have been
\nSo apprehensive to get past a LION
\nin your path for the wrath was an optimum sign<\/p>\n
So clear, our ancestors knew of their worth
\nProtection was evident
\nAll over earth
\nSo where did the disrespect come from and why
\nWhat was the cause of why so many die?
\nI know of untruths and mis-declaration
\nThe rarity factor of Tigers, and the relation
\nTo traditional medicine which the markets know
\nTiger cake made up of other bones show
\nThey sacrificed honesty by creating a way
\nAnd an unfortunate market and the Lions then did pay<\/p>\n
It increased the margins for lions were not as rare
\nAnd bred in captivity just anywhere
\nA market developed to support all those lies
\nAnd canned hunting was born as we now realise
\nBut the Lions out in China were noble and strong
\nThe respect that they had there all along
\nWas lost in the black market contraband shipped
\nThe TCM market place therefore was ripped<\/p>\n
A massive market needed to be
\nDeveloped and Africa just worked its qi
\nUp to their eyes in it, assassins imported
\nFrom rich hunting stock their arrogance courted
\nThen the bones shipped to Thailand and Cambodia too
\nMixed up with monkey and Turtle they do
\nGrind it together and press it into
\nCakes sold as Tiger and sadly thats true<\/p>\n
So with less and less Tigers
\nShedding their light
\nThe Canned Lions fraternity
\nBegan their flight
\nIts become a big business
\nWith profits galore
\nAnd the African Lion in the wild
\nIs no more<\/p>\n
They are being reduced by the day
\nAs we know
\nWhat was seen as so noble and strong
\nWith a glow
\nHas been wronged by the larcenists
\nAnd what we see
\nAre the poor LIONS now shot and shipped
\nIllegally<\/p>\n
Described as Bones in the Far East
\nThe unscrupulous traders change the name of their beast
\nAnd thats where the big money is and it talks
\nAnd Africa hears for their ears are like Hawks
\nEvery part of the Lion can be sold at a price
\nThat gives a big margin we know its not nice
\nIts unfair and its wrong and its dishonest too
\nAnd the lack of respect it just drives on through<\/p>\n
There are still some Tigers and the Ligers as well
\nThey are mixing and matching these traders from hell
\nIts a terrible market with an ugly end
\nAnd now trophies too
\nAnd, that does send
\nMore profit more sadness
\nIts everywhere
\nThe lack of respect for the King
\nThey don’t care<\/p>\n
And we look at the Lions in cities in stone
\nIn Bronze all the guardians in pairs and alone
\nIn China in England all over the world
\nThe black marketeers where they have hurled
\nTheir mis declared cargo so sinful and wrong
\nTheir victims the African Lion once so strong
\nOnce revered by the royalty then of the day
\nSeen as a noble soul, we made them pay<\/p>\n
Its a malevolent spirit a severity
\nWhere’s the compassion and the empathy
\nAll the worst intentions
\nIts a vile attitude
\nIts maligning a creature
\nIts terribly crude
\nAnd the threats now are ominous
\nThe menace of crime
\nIts frightening stuff
\nAs the numbers do climb<\/p>\n
And its done with such vigour
\nWith callous contempt
\nAnd very few farmers
\nPrepared to relent
\nEvery excuse in the book
\nYou now hear
\nThe petting by volunteers
\nAnd then all the fear<\/p>\n
Once our great Lions
\nWere regarded as kings
\nAnd now words like “harvest”
\nThats why it brings
\nThe sadness in me to the fore of my soul
\nFor governments really have lost the control<\/p>\n
The poachers its money it talks and few hear
\nIn the right places now it does appear
\nSo many victims its never fear
\nAs the criminals work it
\nMore LIONS disappear<\/p>\n
The charitable angels of course
\nAre around
\nThey march and work tirelessly now
\nOn the ground
\nSigning petitions exposing these crimes
\nThe Lions disrespect is the sign of the Times
\nDisrespect of ancestors and pathological pursuit
\nOf profit and power which is at the root
\nOf all this vile hunting
\nOf corporate wealth
\nMuch of it concocted in darkness by stealth<\/p>\n
my heart is with Lions all the cats
\nEverywhere
\nThey are facing such terrible losses
\nDespair
\nRuns through their veins
\nAs our eyes can see
\nTheir roars are less powerful
\nWhich should never be<\/p>\n
Our hope is that visionaries will overcome
\nAnd Bring back the Lion and The Tiger so some
\nWill still be living their wild lives away
\nFrom man so unkind who kills them today
\nWe really can do this the gratitude there
\nAn end to skulduggery and to despair
\nIt is my hope that these rackets will be
\nStopped in their tracks, eventually<\/p>\n
I was asked by Pieter Kat to write about our LIONS<\/p>\n
OK Rex – here we go:<\/p>\n
Lions stand proud as statues in our cities
\nTo celebrate strength and nobility and courage
\nBut lions are fragile and vulnerable
\nNo nobility is gained in front of a lion hunter’s gun
\nOnly death and a sad skin…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
They rank in the kingdom of felines to be Kings of their jungle all roaming free Of noble extraction distinctively so Back into ancestry long long ago It was about courage their dominance too Their bloodstock was genuine and remains … Continue reading