Ioanna Warwick
What To Say To A Bear
Do not run. Stand still
and talk softly to the bear.
"What To Do If You Meet a Bear”
Canadian National Park Service
Bear, you could make these
bones crack; you could spill
into roots my unjustified
desire not to die. How unhurried
your tongue would be
burrowing into places
more secret than sex.
When you rise, you look
like a man--a wild man,
our image of terror.
I should carry a bell like a leper.
I couldn't turn over rocks,
or paw the ground with flint-like
claws; it's difficult for a human
to be beautiful.
You climb into yourself for winter,
into your bulk and hoarded warmth.
The forest closes its shadows.
I dream another birth,
licked with a long bear tongue.
Bear, give me a sign
the universe is kind;
its paws and shaggy
nights embrace
our mind, that wildest part.
Bear, black luxury of the earth,
in truth I don't know
what I would say.
If talking softly
would be enough of an expiation.
Copyright (C) Ioanna Warwick, 2006. All rights reserved.