Bagheera

Bagheera walked into the bar and poured himself a drink
His fur was stained with the blood of monkeys and he needed time to think
The man at the bar said, "What are you doing here?"
Bagheera let go a low soft purr that kept the man from coming near
He said "I'm Bagheera, the mighty panther and the jungle is my home
I'm free, free in all I see and that makes me free to roam
Sometimes to feel the music of the jungle, it can cause you pain"
And the man heard Bagheera as the entire jungle joined in the big black cat's refrain

One dark night the man cub came to the big black cat afraid
The boy was sure that he was dying due to the endless stream of water that his eyes made
Yeah, the cat knew why when the boy said, "I don't want to die" for these are the ways of men
The boy cried, "Teacher, teacher I don't, understand this ache within me"
The great cat sighed and then softly he began
He said, "Indeed thou art a man's child now and the world is yours to give and take
The time has come now for your awareness to change forever, there's a choice you must make
You may remain here in the jungle and hunt with the free people
Or, if you feel the man's God calling you, return to your kind in the village and worship at his steeple
The only thing you must do is what you feel in your heart is true
I will hunt now and leave you on your own to decide what to do"
The mighty panther went on his hunt
The secret Lord of the jungle beneath the night sky
And some say if you could have seen him then you would have noticed a single tear fall from his majestic eye