a mother bear and three cubs

a mother bear(be(ə)r) and three cubs

over the edge(ej)

By Henry H. Walker

our cabin(ˈkabən) is comfortably(ˈkəmftərblē) walled
and creature(ˈkrēCHər) comforts surround us within it,
it could be anywhere
that has umbilicals(ˌəmˈbilikəl) for electricity(əˌlekˈtrisədē), water, waste(wāst),

yet where it is here, the wild(wīld) is just outside:
a national park, a creek(krik,krēk), the woods,
unfenced(ˌənˈfenst) nature we can enjoy
just over our own fence(fens) of screen(skrēn) wire(wīr),

usually the world outside is of Eden(ˈēdn),
with only insects(ˈinˌsekt) to be annoying(əˈnoi-iNG),

this summer, though, bears have come over the fence,
the one native animal still around
whose strength(streNG(k)TH) and attitude can challenge(ˈCHalənj) us,
the edge a perch for us,
but also an opening for the bear
to hope to come into our world
for the food we have in abundance(əˈbəndəns),
leaf(lēf) and seed and bug not enough
to fill(fil) the holes of their hunger(ˈhəNGgər),

last evening, a mother bear and three cubs
wanted to come into the Cabin
where they could smell food,
the apple so tempting(ˈtem(p)tiNG),
her impetuous(imˈpeCHo͞oəs) nose(nōz) in the lead(led,lēd),

her claws(klô) snd muscles(ˈməsəl) scratched(skraCH) to find a way
to the food she knew to be just inside,
her sense of smell so acute(əˈkyo͞ot) that one M&M can entice(enˈtīs) her,
this night bananas, candy, a chicken stir(stər)-fry(frī),
all the food inside, drew her
for she and her cubs need to eat,
Winter is coming,
and they need to be fat(fat),
the storm door in the way
of the imperative(imˈperətiv) of the mother she is,

our anxieties(aNGˈzī-itē
) are often abstract(abˈstrakt, ˈabˌstrakt), at a remove,
the bear reminds(riˈmīnd) us that we are only sort of in control,
that concrete(ˈkänˌkrēt, ˌkänˈkrēt) reality can come over the edge,
and we can be expelled(ikˈspel) from Eden.

https://henryspoetry.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-mother-bear-and-three-cubs.html