Penchant for the Wild

To see is to believe

in the roar of the tiger

To hear is to feel

in the ripples of her stripes

To walk is to live

in the shadow of her fire

 

In the heart of the forest

Where the wind blows free

The eagles whistle and the wolves howl the Hunting Song

In the heart of the forest

Where the Law of the Jungle is the decree

The chital say to the tiger, ‘We be of one blood, ye and I!’

There in this heart of the forest

Where the penchant for the wild is the strongest

Is the land of the Free People.

To believe is to yearn

for a glimpse of her gaze

To feel is to follow

for the woods are a maze

To live is to fear

for she hunts unfazed

In the heart of the forest

Where the rivers murmur of summers long

The eagles whistle and the wolves howl the Mowgli’s Song

In the heart of the forest

Where the old lore is remembered in an alarm call

And Baloo and Bagheera wish ‘Good hunting all!’

There in this heart of the forest

Where the penchant for the wild is the strongest

Is the land of the Jungle People.

To yearn is to desire

for her whispering eyed-ears

To follow is to belong

for all the tales she inspires

To fear is to realise

for we are because she is