Wake not the Beast

We told you not to touch him
Now you must pay the price
For not listening to your elders
And taking their advice.

Don’t prod the sleeping tiger
And cause the beast to wake
Or you might raise emotions
Too difficult to take.

Beneath that sleek exterior
There dwells a vengeful heart
With ever ready sharpened claws
To tear its prey apart.

Don’t think you can escape him
Though you are poised for flight
There is no faster creature
Than a tiger in the night.

Give thought before your sortie
For as you know full well
An action set in motion
Is difficult to quell.

Discretion is the better path
The one you have to follow
So leave the sleeping beast alone
Contained within its hollow.