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Winter's Journey - Part 2


Winter’s Journey  (Part 2)



The Mother Bear pounds her paws 
in agitation from left to right 
as the floating ice shelf melts through 
the many lonely nights.
It’s the heat of her tears not the sun 
melting the ice through and through
and before too long
she’ll be in the deep 
but never in the Zoo.

So she listens to her heart, thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump
to the waves banging her ice bank, sinking sinking nearly sunk.

The Mother Polar Bear’s heart is beating out of time.
Slow steady thump-thump, she looks forlornly down into the brine.
She turns her back on the Shore and looks out over the vast Ocean, 
lifts her head to the Sun, all salt water and all tears, 
so much lively dangerous motion she worries, out there, 
there live all her fears.
“What’s that beneath the waves?”, she thinks and looks deeper 
without falling in
can she see anything swimming there
swimming ominously nearer and nearer?

There’s an Albatross floating above her, who beckons her - 
“Jump”, he crows  “Jump while you can!”
 See way out there, there’s an Orca, 
swim out to him, jump on his back, 
he will guide you a safe swim”.

“But Orcas aren’t friendly”, she cried out, “they have very sharp teeth!”
The Albatross screeched, 
“This one’s a good one he will take you way way out deep”. 
“But my baby?” she cried, and the Albatross replied - 

“All in good time, she’ll find you eventually, 
you must trust  and have faith in your own life’s rhythm.
Place your trust in the Orca, believe me I’m good luck, 
that whale he’s a good, well, whale
he will guide you through deep waters
he is made of exceptionally strong stuff”.

She wandered if Albatross’s were to be trusted and were they really 
good luck?
Mother Polar Bear opened her eyes and jumped.


(Lovejoy-Burton / December 2017)

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