Night falls deep and dark upon the steamy jungle,
all becomes deathly still and quiet under the full moon's light,
predators begin their nightly journey for unwary prey,
as the birds hush their melodious singing.
Leopards begin to stretch in preparation for the hunt,
graceful lithe gazelles prance about,
senses alert for danger,
monkeys screech their warning of the danger in the night,
pythons and boa constrictors slither hungrily,
across the steamy undercarriage of the jungle floor.
Giraffes feed uneasily upon the sweet folliage of the trees,
eyes and ears ever alert to the danger,
rhinos roll in the mud flats cooling off after a long days work,
crocodiles and gators lie quietly beneath the calm surface of the waters,
seeking their unsuspecting prey.
Zebras prance nervously about the plains,
aware of the danger that lurks in the tall grasses,
lions roar out their menacing call alerting the land,
that they will soon come to call.
Hyenas cackle and laugh eerily through the night,
awaiting the leftovers from the predators meal,
bats eek out their searching call in the still night air.
Til at last the sky lightens and the predators end their savage hunt,
giving at last safety to the fortunate creatures that survived the night.
Donavon Scott Vinson