Rustle Rustle Rustle.
What could that be in the grasses? I have to stop feeding for a while and look out for predators because they can be anywhere.
Rustle Rustle Rustle.
There it is again. This time I can hear it get louder and louder as if a cheetah was ready to race with its prey. In this case, I am the prey in sight. I can feel the adrenaline rush through my body as the creature gets closer. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, it leaps out...
It's just my brothers playing among the tall grasses. I can't tell if they were intentionally trying to scare me but I was prepared to flee for my life. I feel really weak as the adrenaline gets flushed out of my body but also relieved that I get to enjoy my meal again with the rest of my brothers and sisters. Although there is enough grass to feed on I can't help but think about the leaves on the forest trees.
Some members of the herd say that my ambitions are are unrealistic but I would like to think otherwise. The world may see us as majestic or glorious creatures. They might have called us Gazelles because of our gracefulness. We might be a sight to behold but the truth is that most of us are conformists following "the way things are done". As the seasons change every year we follow the same paths to the same places. For once, I would really like things to be different.
It is forbidden to leave the herd and wander off into the forest. Every deserter is at the mercy of the elements alone and because of this, many gazelles never get to eat from the forest. I have tasted the leaves from the trees of the forest and I have to say, it is true what the legends say. The forest is inviting. The forest is tempting. She calls to me at night like a siren in the deep waters. I am scared of her yet I want her.
I often dream about running into the forest. I want to dance under the shadows of the trees. I want to eat the tasty leaves and green grasses. I want to have a bite of the different fruits she bears. I want to relish in her abundance all day long and fall asleep under her shelter at night.
Do I really want all that? Is it all too good to be true? Am I brave or irrational?
The forest can be unpredictable. What if I cross paths with a hungry tiger or find myself in the midst of a wolf pack that knows the forest?
What if in all my bliss, I eat from a poisonous tree?
What if I run into a trap? Would I become another catch for the human hunters?
What if I wander on the tarred path and fall prey to the metal beasts?
What if I simply cannot survive being alone and lonely? What if I get lost in the forest and in myself?
Over here among the tall grasses, we are hidden from predators but we are also blind to them. Lions and cheetahs can hide among the grasses, stealthily get close to one of us and pounce for the kill. Staying here among these tall grasses is risky but at least we would be together. We will assure one another as we keep going in this journey of life. I will spend every minute I can with my brothers and sisters because at anytime, the lion in the tall grass can pounce on one of us.
