Bear serenade

[vaneramos]

Ursine spirit lumbering
through dark of the moon,
how may I go to him?
I will be devoured.

In the winter he crawls
to a place of darkness and warmth.
Shrugging off the wailing wind
he sinks upon mouldering leaves
and sleeps while the world dies,
while it storms.

Dreamless eyes dark with cavernous shadows,
fur dense as quilted ground beneath hemlocks
guarding the northbound rockwall
arrayed in ice that never thaws before April,
when ferns uncoil their croziers tenderly.

He rests until
spring comes to air
his breathless coma,
sunlight penetrating his bed
tracing pathways.
And he is hungry!

I'll go a-bearing
as soon as thick snow melts
and the forest opens.
Find me a bear with legs thick as trunks
and ravenous muzzle
his jaws strong as death.

Maul me among raspberry canes
one day in August (feel the hot sun).
I'll fill my mouth with blackberries
to sweeten my flesh,
let bright juice rivulets
run over my lips and bones.

©2001 Van Waffle

~~~~~~~

Something trapezebear posted reminded me of this poem, a sentimental favourite. It was written March 3, 2001, and was previously published on Themestream.