Leopard in the Light
written by: Raymond Isakow
The tyrant black sky watched closely,
As lightning lashed the drought bare
Scarred back of the bowed veld.
Smiles flashing across his face.
The gathered hordes of thunder clouds
Rumbled their approval,
Growling against their taut wind leashes.
The sun-dried old man
In his mud and thatch house smiled,
Ready for the rain.
He had been hoping for one last storm,
Sure now, this was it.
He was down to his last two old chickens,
Old dreams and no plans.
His FM radio went silent last winter.
He sat on his haunches.
Bone-thin arms crossed.
Resting on his thick knees.
His gaze fixed on the yellow band of light
Streaming into the bush outside his doorway,
Cast by the fire in the center of his hut.
The one constant in his life was the leopard.
When the darkness grew thick each night,
It would appear unafraid in the beam of light
And sit, patiently staring at the old man
Here again tonight, as if waiting.
The old man, though safe behind his fire,
Knew he was seen as a meal,
But liked to think that
While the fire crackled between them,
They were just checking on each other.
For now!
A nearby lightning lash.
And the ember-lit amber eyes were gone.
Then the rain started.
Heavy, patient plump drops,
That had been waiting for months,
Struck the soft, thin sand like bullets.
Splashing bullet holes began leaking,
Black blood, silvered by lightning.
The frenzied beating of the released rain
And the heavy breath of the storm
Shook the twigs and his faith in his fragile home.
The blood shed by the assault on the veld,
Now also swirled around his hut.
The rain suddenly stopped.
As the storm marched down the valley.
He creaked up to his full stooped height,
Talking to himself quietly,
But with the confidence of history.
Knowing that tomorrow the dead grass would arise
And he would once more sit on the flat rock,
Under the thorn tree,
From where he could watch the grazing herds.
He knew the soil would now be softened.
Enough to start digging his grave
To ensure it was free of rocks.
And too deep for the leopard to find
- Leopard in the Light - July 19, 2026
- Dark at the End of a Day - April 9, 2026
