Poetry Archives

Out back of the cafe a square iron cage
made hard corners for a honey bear
the boys saved from a bulldozer.
Crouched like a dog, the cage
wasn’t tall enough to let her stand,
the bear’s broad-necked head swayed
misery to misery.  What to do with
the poor bear so unhappy in the cage?
Bear waved with her front right paw
You could see sad bear eyes saw
Nothing good living life chained, crave
Her aching bellow roared
To the cave where her cubs should be.
She’d harmed nothing in life.
She nuzzled the bars, a children’s bear
never hurt a butterfly and like fetching
honey held out her front right paw—
beautiful claws.  You could see in her eyes
and see everything sad bear eyes saw.
Would she be all right in the house?
But dogs might get it.  Think about it.
The bear could use some fattening up.