Lions And Tigers, Not Bears

When heaven made the cats, and crowned one king,
dividing them by genera and types,
the lions laid in privilege and bling,
with others making do with spots and stripes.

Then tigers leveraged their massive heft
to claim a kingdom, some would call it raj.
They, like their western brethren, will use theft,
and scavenge, though they lack an entourage.

What of the cheetah, fastest in the land?
Successful as it is in all its hunts,
why is this cat -- I cannot understand --
why isn't it a king -- the slight affronts,

offending my intrinsic sense of fairness.

The cheetah could care less; lacks self-awareness.

Author notes: https://allpoetry.com/poem/16015441-Chit-Chat-by-Agee