Bears
I wanted to write
something fine about men, about
how love bursts like pumpkins
in the fall. Then
I heard about the bears in Alaska
and how to keep them away, and that
seemed more relevant. You sing
or wear bells as you walk; if they
know you're coming they steer clear,
being the prudent fellows they are
(cowards, really). Whistling
may be misconstrued during
mating season. Don't wear perfume,
they find it attractive. Don't smell
of food, they like this, too. If you do
meet up with one, upon your peril
don't run. Bears are funny, and running
will trigger a chase. Although
they seem slow, they can do
forty in a pinch. There is no escape
that way. You are advised to
drop to the ground, without ceremony,
without sound. Drop
to the ground and play dead. Shown
total submission, they will lose interest.
And when he has gone, get up
if you can. Wear the bells, forget the perfume,
sing
14 comments:
This goes on my daughters wall in her room, she who loves poetry and will so dig this.
Another new finnablog, another happy day.
Rode my bicycle across a big chunk Alaska a few years ago. Before I left on the trip, some of the folks I worked with gave me some bear bells. Also some doe urine, which was supposed to attract the Big Bucks.
Alas, neither proved effective. Upon seeing my bells, my Alaskan guide asked if I knew the difference between grizzly scat and moose scat. I did not.
"Grizzly scat," he said with a grin, "has bells in it."
fabuloius, jerri.
and caryl,you honor me. i do think 'Bears' may inform your daughter's teenaged years..pretty salient facts
i want yall to know i'm listening to Elvis singing PEACE IN THE VALLEY the whole multi-cd set. it's heaven in a honeypot.
Suzanne, Your poem is lovely and straightforward and funny and perfect. Are you noticing autumnal changes in the scenery where you are? The leaves are changing here in Indiana and are lovely beyond any singing of it. Happy to report, no bears.
This is wonderful.
the leaves are turning here as well. but more stay green, or just seem to disappear overnight. nothing like the grandeur of the colors of fall elsewhere.
what we have here is sudden piles of leaves and the indian summer patches of real heat. sept/october is our weather time, here. it is most gorgeous and just slightly humid,almost every day these two months. i love it.
I grew up outside Philadelphia and the fall was a beautiful time of year. I played field hockey all through junior and senior high and it was in the fall. That is one thing I still miss. Nashville does not have field hockey and fall is a crap shoot.
life is a crapshoot. i try to move my chips accordingly.
Should I post the bear's reply?
It would muss things up. Boy, Suzanne, you are great writer. I don't even think you know how good you are.
Jerri: I would love to do a big Alaskan bike ride. How bad were the bugs?
george: the bugs arent so bad. you can swallow most of them whole.
and OF COURSE you should post the bear's reply!
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