Rainbow is a young lioness,
Who likes to play with paint all day.
She crushes leaves and flowers,
And spreads their colours in lovely shapes.
Her friends in the meantime,
Roar and fight and chase,
Poor bunnies and squirrels,
All over the place.
Rainbow paints in hiding,
Because she’s afraid.
If her friends discover her,
What will they say?
She is not a kitten,
Who can roll in paint all day!
She’s a lioness,
And she is not supposed to play.
But she can’t help herself.
Painting makes her day.
She cannot give painting up.
Nu-uh, no way.
Then one sunny afternoon…
As she sings and paints,
Her friends discover her.
They don’t know what to say.
Her heart is full of dreams.
Her eyes are a bit dazed.
And her face is covered,
In vibrant streaks of paint.
They creep up around her,
And roar into her face,
Seething with disgust,
They say, “You are a disgrace!
“You’re a lioness, not a painter!
Is this what you do all day”?
Shocked, she stammers,
“I’m sorry! Please do not give my secret away”!
But as soon as she apologizes,
She wants to take her words away.
Why is she apologizing,
For having some fun with a bit of paint?
She rises from her cower,
Even as her head sways.
She looks at each cub,
Until none of them look away.
“How about this, dear friends…”
She confidently says,
“Look closely at my paintings,
Not from faraway.
“If you don’t like what you see,
You can have your way.
Point at me. Rat me out.
I won’t even complain.”
One by one, the cubs,
Carefully break away.
They look around until,
Their heads start to sway!
Rainbow’s painted their faces,
Gentle and full of play.
Each stroke is so beautiful.
They can’t look away.
When they turn to face her,
She gives them a shy wave.
“I paint what I love,
And I love you every day.
“I don’t want to hide anymore.”
With teary eyes, she says,
“I love you unconditionally.
Can’t you love me that way”?
The cubs continue to stare at her,
Until one finally steps her way,
“We love you too, young lioness.
You can paint our fine faces any day”!
Then he waves to the other cubs,
His smile like a sunray.
The cubs surround her in hugs,
Ready to be friends again.
From that beautiful afternoon on,
Rainbow proudly paints,
All over the jungle,
No longer hiding and afraid.
She even paints the bunnies and squirrels,
The ones that don’t run away.
Animals come to see her beautiful work,
From near and far away.
The cubs adore her paintings.
They are proud to be her friends.
Some even get their paws dirty,
And paint with her all day!
Tasneem Dairywala 