17th Dec prompt from goodpenmanship: exotic animal
Exotic
He trekked through Tibet, to its border with China;
A journey which very few Westerners made…
Intrigued by the people, the landscape, the culture;
So tempting to stop, and observe, be waylaid.
He was always made welcome by those he encountered;
They shared all they had, gave him shelter and food.
He cherished those evenings, conversing with strangers;
Relief from the mountain trails' wild solitude.
He mastered their language, explored their traditions,
Religion, philosophy, creed and world view;
Aware how, at first, he stood out a novelty,
Opened his eyes to so much which was new.
Time passed, he recorded the flora and fauna;
Strange items which traders had brought from the east;
The feathers from birds he had not know existed,
The pelt of a panda, a rarely seen beast.
Material needs became few, he adapted
The skills used before for deceit and disguise;
In time, he no longer stood out from the landscape;
Invisible, safe from his enemy's spies.
A few days in Lhasa, his host, the head lama;
The wisdom imparted, he holds to this day.
Two years in part-exile, then Persia to Mecca;
Khartoum, with some work for the Crown, on the way.
France, then to England, still hunted, still cautious;
Perhaps unaware just how much he might change
He steps from the gangplank, looks round at the city;
A city which now seems exotic and strange…
~0~