Here’s another of my many “wolf” poems. I wrote a slew of them in the late nineties, and seems I keep finding more as I go through all my old files. As I’ve said before, I have always been fascinated by wolves; I find them to be an extremely romantic animal, and to me they epitomize the struggle of life.
The Wolf and the Rose
Lone white wolf on the hillside
Gazing down, he stands silent and still
Hungry eyes scan the valley
Searching for this night’s kill
The moon still fast asleep
On the cold world’s other side
Snow shawl wraps the mountain
‘cross the valley, so deep and wide
Wolf moves as if by magic
Slips quietly down the hill
Belly empty and aching
Demanding to be filled
Eyes roaming as he travels
He blends with the blanket of snow
Nothing else moves, no sign of life
Not a bush or a flower grows
Alas, he grows weak then stumbles
Another step and then he goes down
A groaning last breath escapes him
The cold world hears not the sound
His body lies stiff and frozen
Until at last comes the spring
Tis in the summer they find him
‘neath a tree where songbirds sing
A thorny bush with one red blossom
Casts shade on the spot where he fell
The birds warble a song bittersweet
A story of life in the wild they tell
They sing not a song of his death
Of his dying, his struggles and woes
They sing about life lived hard, yet full
For the wolf that lies ‘neath the rose
Copyright © 1999 C. Mashburn
Sharing this with dVerse Poetics: Once Upon A Time. It’s not exactly a fairy tale, but I think it’s close enough. You might want to check out my other wolf poems, and especially the series I call “Changed“. It probably comes as close to a fairy tale as I’m ever going to get.
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Marbles In My Pocket ~ The Official Blog of Charles L. Mashburn ~ Poems, Short Stories, and random thoughts from the author of "Be Still... and know that I am God" 
Abby Kelly said
Wonderful imagery. My husband has always had a thing for wolves. When I think about them in this capacity – I can see why.
http://www.predatory-lie.com
charlesmashburn said
I am fascinated by them!
Thanks for the visit and comment!
claudia said
i think wolves are majestic creatures…romantic…yes…i agree but also unbelievably strong…and then the growing weak and dying hits even more..enjoyed it charles..
charlesmashburn said
Thank you, Claudia!
brian miller said
what a moving tale charles…the wolf is such a wonderful creature…one we dont often get to see…a bit of magic there too of th honor the birds give in singing his life…one well lived….i will def check out others of the series….enjoyed immensely….
charlesmashburn said
I’ve been a fan of wolves and read about them since I was nine years old.
Thanks for the visit and comment, Brian!
Mary said
A wild life is indeed not an easy life. They live hard, and they die hard…but live to the very end, accepting it, as most animals do. I always enjoy reading/ thinking about wolves too. The wolf beneath the red rose..SO sad really, but death with dignity.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you for the wonderful comment, Mary!
Anna Montgomery said
Poetically told Charles, don’t we all want songs of a well lived life in the end?
charlesmashburn said
You saw right through me on this one, Anna.
Daydreamertoo said
Awww… I love wolves. At least he died free and of old age as they all ought to do! 🙂
charlesmashburn said
I love them, too, Daydreamer!
Thanks fr the visit and comment!
Laurie Kolp said
How clever of you to write about the wolf who is found in so many of the fairy tales. This is beautiful and I like the celebration of his life rather than the sadness of his death… as it should be, I think.
charlesmashburn said
I believe very much in celebrating life when it comes to an end.
Thanks for the visit and comment, Laurie!
jcosmonewbery said
Yes, there is something very primal about wolves.
charlesmashburn said
I agree! Thanks for the visit and comment!
hedgewitch said
I like this, Charles–it reminds me a bit of Kipling, especially the last stanza, with it’s measured sense of Nature’s unbreakable laws, and a Jungle Tale is just a fairy tale moved around the world. Wolves are indeed a deep and wide subject to inspire us.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much! I appreciate the thought-filled comment!
Heaven (@asweetlust) said
Very nice tale…I like that he was remembered not for his dying and woes but for his life in the wild. Don’t we all want to be celebrated like this?
Have a good day ~
charlesmashburn said
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate the visit and comment!
Chazinator said
I enjoyed the way that the tale is so precise in its description of the wolf. You give that sense, that I always find interesting, of the observer above watching a scene unfold in a world where no human has tread. The following lines struck me as complete in the sense that this is nature’s way and that celebration of a single life involves fullness, not emptiness:
They sing about life lived hard, yet full
For the wolf that lies ‘neath the rose
charlesmashburn said
That’s kind of my writing style, Charles. Whether it be a poem, story, or novel, I tend to write as though I’m watching the scene take place before my eyes.
Thanks for the visit and wonderful comment!
hobgoblin2011 said
Charles, excellently woven tale, very much resembling the fairy tale tradition. Even the title emulates the titles of lore. Oftentimes in fairy tales you do see something or someone pass, only for something higher or greener to come from it. I really like this piece a lot. Thanks
charlesmashburn said
Thank you for the awesome comment! I appreciate your kind words very much!
Sherry Mashburn said
Beautifully done . . .
charlesmashburn said
AW!
shanyns said
Howl! From one friend of the wolves to another…howlingly good my friend!
charlesmashburn said
Hey! That’s the first “Howl!” comment I ever got!
Thanks, Shanyns!