The Bear
Posted by Rob Kistner | Filed under Poetry
Author’s note: This following piece, “The Bear”, is a terrifying tale. My wife and I love hiking the Oregon wilderness on the edge of which we live. Wildlife is still plentiful in the Cascade Mountains. One must always be cautious. This Pacific Northwest is wild and beautiful, but it is still dangerous.
The Bear
•
BEAR
black
ahead
standing in the switchback
scratching on a cedar
he sees me
stops
drops to all fours
stares
i tense
he still stares
shakes his mass
snorts
chuffs
shakes head
chuffs again
turns
ambles away
i exhale
shake
…
Rob Kistner © 2007
May 4th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
Thanks for stopping by the blog- and the website. Been tinkering with it today so it’s nice to know someone stopped by.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Powerful. I like the spareness and complete lack of didacticism here. Sometimes less is more, isn’t it?
May 4th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
You are welcome Ren!
Thank you for reciprocating, and for your directing me to Audacity.
May 4th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Dave -
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, sometimes less is the only way to approach something.
The spareness of this poem reflects exactly my mindset when this incident occurred. About all I could muster in my mind were single-word thoughts, coming in frozen staccato. I was genuinely frightened — he was only about 60 feet ahead of me.
I came on him as I rounded a bend. He had to lumber off into the bush to clear my path, and thankfully — he did. I’ll never forget it!
May 4th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
It’s a powerful image. I really like the last word. It seems like a reflection between the watcher and the watched.
May 4th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
Thank you Marilyn!
It was a very powerful experience, one I’ll not soon forget.
Yes, though my shaking was fear and the bear’s was probably mild irritation with me, or shaking in his good scratch. I did want the mirrored image to resonate.
…Rob
May 5th, 2007 at 9:37 am
Hi Rob! I love the Bear poem — I’m a big bear fan. I really like how you have both the bear and yourself shaking, and I’m glad the bear ambled away! Have a really nice weekend.
May 5th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Hi Clare!
Thanks for the kind words.
Yes, I’m glad he ambled away as well. It was both a frightening, and an exhilarating encounter. Once in my lifetime is enough.
May 5th, 2007 at 12:47 pm
awesone moment to come face to face with a bear like that! Once you get over the fear you must think Wow!
May 5th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
I did eventually say WOW WOW! However, it took a while for me to say much of anything immediately after the encounter.
It’s an indelible memory.