The shark’s reputation precedes him,
demonized in the minds of millions,
movie-goers jumping,
or hiding behind
their darkened seats.
Predators must hunt,
unsmiling and relentless,
the prey must die
so they can live;
for nature’s complexity
is for us to understand — not judge.
A greater power than Man
put this realm together.
And as a poet once said:
‘…one may smile, and smile,
and be a villain–‘
So step back,
you silver-tongued fiends,
those who think
they know better;
Your power is temporal,
so brief,
whilst the shark’s honest instinct
is ageless, only taking its due.

*Quotation from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5, line 108.

Copyright Francis 2020

Earthweal Weekly Challenge: Shark Poetry