Recently, my grandson, James, who is in the first year of school, was assigned to write and illustrate a book, which he did and titled it: “Endangered Animals”. The above drawing is from that book.

Although, he is a first grader, his knowledge of mammals and birds is way above his age and grade. He sounds like a semi-scientist in the life of animals.  

This staring contest between a cheetah and a gazelle (an illustration from the book) reminds me of a poem by Dr. Ra’di Azarakhshi, titled,  “The Glance”.

The poem is about the poet’s deaf and dumb brother whom they talk to each other just by look and glance. It starts describing his brother’s glance and continues to talk about glances between a lion and a lamb and the poet’s conclusion and interpretation of those glances (1).   Here is my English translation of that poem.

I do not know what secret is in your glance

That I can see it but unable to describe

-------

Quickly it will become clear

By watching glances between a lion and a lamb

That the latter is a helpless lamb and the other a ferocious lion

The glance of lamb tells you: “ hasten and strap.”

The glance of lion, tells you: “ don’t stay and run”.

A seven- year- old boy may feel inequality among the animals and even shows it in the eyes of cheetah and gazelle, but it takes years of experience to see it not just in animal kingdom, but all around the world.

1. The “Glance” is a long poem. I just chose and translated a few lines of it respectively. Also, one can find the original poem in Persian in this link:
2. http://www.iran-emrooz.net/index.php/farhang/more/119/