Walking with the Bear

author’s note:

Someone once told me:

Some days the bear eats you.  And some days, you eat the bear.

Yes, some days the bear does eat you.  But you never eat the bear.


WALKING WITH THE BEAR

When the bear starts to devour me
I can retreat into the shelter of the cave:

then, if I remain still
the growling will disperse
over the night lake softly lapping my shores.

But though I keep working for deeper calm
these respites still seem so shallow.
Nonetheless
when I return to the world outside
I again feel my gentle strength.

Yet I know
whatever peace I’ve achieved
is relative.
I know
some small accident
will soon stir the bear up
and once more, I’ll be forced to contend
with the claws sprouting from its paws.

At such moments
I often don’t have the time
to return to the shelter of the cave

but occasionally
I’ll remember the wisdom
I’ve found through long experience--
how to contain without repressing--
how to walk with the bear
slowly...carefully
while allowing myself
to enjoy how its power
feels within my frame.

floor show journey: slow tv
Poet, Heal Thyself: poetry ebook
© 2021, Michael R. Patton