Daniel In The Lions' Den:

In the den then, the stench

Thick as a father’s disappointment,

Daniel stood and remained untouched…

Had the lions found peace

Through a murmuring prayer Daniel released?

Or, having just finished a feast, could it have been
That man, comparing all to their own greed,

Never understood the beast killed for need

And never for sport?

Daniel, then, in that den,

As he stood and shivered… or did he

Always believe he would be unharmed?

Did he stand in that dark place and smile

As the lions stayed resting upon the hard ground?

Or did he even dare to sit and let the lions

Pad close, their fur, as hot as a warmed rock,

Touching gently his arm and feet, his face and breast,

Their hearts to beat as his did?

When the cave’s boulder was cast aside

And Daniel finally released, did he turn back

And spare a thought for the lions

Or did he stride back into the world of men

Without ever considering their fate?