He can roar no more
His vocal cords are sore
His mane doesn’t
blow with the wind
straggly and thinned
Teeth broken and stained
The old lion!
Once he ruled
with an iron hand
King of his kingdom
Setting high standards
Had them cower and beg
for a promotion
in his cabinet
The old lion!
Now sits and broods
of his past glories
Alas! There is no
audience to impress
He cannot accept
status of retirement
How do we deal with him?
The once superhero
The once-titular head
The once-role model
Much revered and respected
Now a caricature
of his former self
The old lion!
~Snigdha Agrawal
Bangalore, India
*kambakht = wretched
The photo was taken at Gir Forest
