A polar bear unexpectedly washed up
on a beach of sun-soaked sand, blinking at palm trees
like they were part of some cosmic prank.
He tried to build a snow fort out of coconuts and optimism,
but everything kept melting~
except his dignity.
Soon he learned to waddle in flip-flops,
sip pineapple juice through a straw, and fan himself with a leaf
the size of his entire head.
He decided, with a shrug, that life is mostly about adapting~
even if you’re a creature of snow
learning to love the warm, ridiculous world.
the smile on that bear’s face picked up the Christmas pace
A card from the fifties, yet it still holds love and grace
Who mailed this card? From whom could this treasure be?
I never found out, though I tried to through 1993
Finally deciding it did not matter whatsoever
This Christmas card lightens the worst weather
The smile on this whimsical polar bear
Tells me that someone does love me and care
I thought a polar bear was the size of a grizzly or brown bear
Yesterday at a museum I was surprised to see a stuffed one there
He was enormous, his teeth had me quaking at my knees
Mouth opened wide, I was intimidated, glad he could not be freed
He is a Goliath, bigger than any colossus t-rex I could imagine I am sure
His fur was not amazingly white, more yellowish, kind of unpure
I was sorry he was a statue now, for I bet he was something in his day.
This does not mean I would stay to play if I saw him coming my way.
polar bear up north
posing for the camera
dressed for warmth in fur
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
Polar bear at the north pole, floating on a lone ice floe,
thinks to himself, 'What happened to my world, where did all the ice go?'
If to the south pole he did depart, penguins to compare,
would he then be, a well-traveled bipolar bear?
Polar bear chased Joe into a cave
Already there was a princess and knave
They waited until the big gal went to sleep
Then stealthily stole away with nary a peep
polar bear here
polar bear there
she gave us a scare,
she gave us a scare
Polar bear slumbered cozily away
As they climbed out of her cave that day
Hibernating now, the three told all who would listen
Staying away from that frozen cave that gave a glisten
polar bear here
polar bear there
she gave us a scare,
she gave us a scare
Feeling lucky they had survived the bear’s hungry ways
They all told the story from then until the end of their days
A princess, knave, and a regular guy named Joe.
Who still tell the tale down in Kokomo.
polar bear here
polar bear there
she gave us a scare,
she gave us a scare
Polar Bear
White on white, barely seen,
the bear’s senses are aroused and keen.
Its legs move cautiously
as its paws touch snow the softly;
the chionophile mills, then stills.
And then it begins breathing intermittently,
while its heart beats slowly
with its black nose sniffing
and brown eyes squinting;
its ears prick forward, listening.
Something tells the bear,
something is out there!
A scent in the breeze
or a sound echoing,
that piques its curiosity.
Early spring, and darkness evaporates,
melting the bay ice
and making hunting excellent.
A solitary predator except in season,
the boar proceeds in that direction.
What do polar bears eat for Christmas as a treat?
Lollipops, sugar plums, red hots and other things sweet?
Let’s find one and ask I said to my cousin Ned.
Unfortunately, after we did that, one of us ended up dead.
Which one? My grandchildren asked, amazed and ready to know.
I was flabbergasted at this logic; were they truly this slow?
I have seen pictures of friends on Alaska cruise,
The Denali landscape looked so stark, no hues.
No frozen or floating icebergs, no polar bears catching the fish,
The caribou stood alone, in the waning forest, a solemn wish.
I used my pixel phone, live translate to talk,
To the lonely mature bear, we took a thoughtful walk.
He understood my desire, promised me the dreamland's gleam,
The gentle bear twirled my cane, as magic's silver stream.
With magic, glaciers formed again, pristine and bright,
The snow fell, blizzards came, the forest turned green overnight.
The polar bear and her cub, fished the shores so grand,
Caribou danced in snowy woods, joy spreading through the land.
Northern sea otters swam delightfully in ice-cold water,
Spectacles eider, short-tailed albatross, flying squirrels, all did scatter.
They showed their maneuvers with glee and grace,
Even wood bison appeared, returning from the past's embrace.
But when I woke up from my dream so clear,
The stark realities struck, and sadness was near.
I hope the dwindling birds and animals, facing global warming's strife,
Will survive and thrive, embracing a new lease on life.
I am the polar bear who loves to eat sweets.
You can have hams, chickens and other meets.
I like peppermint, chocolate and gingerbread.
Especially those men baked by my cousin Ed.
I am the polar bear who loves to taste icing every day.
Frosting makes my pancakes taste a particularly wonderful way.
You can have barbequed pork, hamburgers, steaks and such.
My mouth is ready for sugars, vanilla, and a cinnamon touch.
Stay back, save yourselves, be quiet and stand out of the way
It is a nefariously thrilling polar-bear-tooth-cleaning-day.
I only do this for one polar bear, his name is grumpy Jay.
He does not trust anyone else; only reason that I stay.
Cleaning his uppers now, I have to stand on a ladder gray.
If it falls down, I might get hurt, as the floor is a long way.
Please do not giggle or excite him. Murderous can be Jay.
If you make him angry, I doubt that I could save you today.
aurora borealis renews polar bear’s hopes
her children and mate float into mind’s eye
this world is better than that one,
no climate change here
do not fear your transition
Not much to see her the Arctic princess said.
I’m just relaxing on my polar bear, up top my bed.
His soft fur makes a marvelous cushion for my head.
I challenge you to find a book he has not read.
I had slid into her bedroom on a sleigh-type-of-sled.
“Come over a bit closer,” the Arctic princess said.
Seconds later, that enormous giant bearl jumped off the bed
I ran screaming from her room feeling all kinds of dread.
Polar bear king was the first Santa in Scandinavia back in the day
We never hear about him, for he had some mishaps along the way
Instead of reindeer, he traveled with Arctic bears of white.
They gobbled up the bad kids, and this did not set just right.
This was prior to Krampus, and no one knew about Santa yet.
Polar bears were happy with the Polar bear king, most of them a pet.
The ones who ate up the bad kids would never admit it of course.
But the Polar bear king ended up traveling over the world with a horse.
The horse was not equipped to fly because they did not have magic yet.
The polar bears were angry, for they thought they were his favorite pet.
So it did not work out for the Polar Bear King, and Santa was invented.
The fiasco of the eaten children should have been prevented.
When visiting some family
Who live several hours away,
We know we’re very close
When there’s a welcoming display.
A more-than life-sized polar bear
Is waving from his spot
On Route 290, giving all
The biggest smile he’s got.
I love to see him from the road,
His friendliness implied,
But also since I know
We’re at the tail-end of our ride.
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