runawaynow.com
In the Great Bear Rainforest,
home of black bear and grizzly,
wolf and whale and deer,
I walk, Spirit Bear, with my cub.
tidescanada.org
Among thousand year old cedar,
I take shelter. Along the shore
I find roots and berries and salmon
to feed my small one.
mothershipadventures.com
Long time back, Great Bear
walked these lands alone,
but now Two-Leggeds come
to fell the Standing People.
When the trucks roll in,
and the metal saws whine and shriek,
we run, seeking sanctuary.
But no matter how far
into the woods
we travel, they always
follow.
straight.com
ipfieldnotes.org
In the forest, the grapple-yarders.
In the air, helicopters,
to lift the big trees out.
No where
is there safety,
a place to rest.
greatbeartours.com
Along the beach, boats full of tourists
come to stare, the whales blowing hard
and diving deep, swimming fast
while the boats
relentlessly follow.
Sometimes the people raise cameras,
and sometimes guns.
Yet they think we are
the dangerous ones.
picstopin.com
Back and forth we run,
from forest to beach,
looking for food and safety
and a Place Where They Are Not.
My heart aches for my young one,
as our lives
grow harder.
threesheetsnw.com
The Great Bear Rainforest is a jewel of the northern Pacific Coast. Home to Spirit Bear and thousand year old cedar, it is supposedly "protected", which means "only" 50% of those fast disappearing old growth trees will be logged. Logging roads now wind through what once was pristine sanctuary, which any sane society would preserve simply because it is one of the last old growth forests left, not to mention wildlife needing habitat. Future generations will look back at us in horror.
This is posted for Peggy's prompt at Real Toads: write from the point of view of an animal in a place you've never been. Do check out the other links. There will be some good responses. Great prompt, Peggy!
From "who I am" to the past, present, and then future, you give a deep resonating voice to Bear.
ReplyDeleteThis is the plight of wild things. No where to run. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be the plight of many beautiful animals. So sad.
ReplyDeleteSuch a well constructed voice for those who cannot speak. I fear that with all the harm humans are doing to the environment future generations will think it is only a fairytale that there were once forests where wild creatures lived in freedom.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sherry, sooner or later we too could run out of places to go... one must feel this more than understand it...
ReplyDeleteI am very glad you wrote this, Sherry. We humans are supposed to be stewards of this earth but we are failing miserably.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that the deer have found a home on the Southeast Texas golf course where I play on Tuesday. Most mornings we generally see from three to seven. There are turtles in the streams and snakes and squirrels in the woods. I don't know what else, but for sure NO BEARS. Thank you.
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I love this Sherrie! So many animal viewpoints here--especially love the spirit bear! I would be so wonderful to see one of the white bears. I hope this place stays protected (and is really protected--shocking they will log half the trees).
ReplyDeleteWow, Sherry, this is what I expected from you, and you didn't disappoint. The Kermode, the Spirit Bear, with her black cub...wonderful. And being the person you are, you are able to speak for the animals. I cry when I think the premier of BC is going along with the plan to build oil pipelines across our beautiful wilderness. I'm a British Columbian at heart, always.
ReplyDeleteK
Dreadful situation else's here, Sherry. Humans make such foolish decisions oftentimes. This breaks my heart.
ReplyDeleteOh Sherry you captured the pain and suffering! The line about who are the dangerous ones really brought it home~ This is so sad and it hurts to know how much damage the world has done~
ReplyDeletePowerful write
Motherly love oozing out:)
ReplyDeleteNoble of you to bring this up, Sherry! One often feels helpless at what horrors are done to animals and the environment. It's not just progress but big money for certain folks. Pity!
ReplyDeleteHank
your soul and mine walk among them for we hear their cries feel their anguish share in their howls. Gracias mi amiga for highlighting this issue of which we must be constantly reminded
ReplyDeleteWe all are of the same spirit
I love the message dear ~ keep them protected and far away from us ~ I feel for those creatures whose homes we are destroying ~ Good morning ~
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be a balance, and this seems to be far from it. I wonder what the life expectancy for a "white" bear is? If it is any less - I'm not sure why it would be as who are her predators - other than human. I wonder if they get skin cancer? Nice write, as always, full of heart.
ReplyDeleteIt always makes me sad to read about the vanishing habitats, and the awful toll it takes on the animals. You have delivered a message made stronger by being from the viewpoint of the bear.
ReplyDeleteThis is heartbreaking, Sherry. Habitat destruction is a sin.
ReplyDeleteI feel the spirit of the bear and the old woods through your words Sherry
ReplyDeleteI feel for the Spirit Bear and other animals trying to hide from people, but no sacred places left...Sherry, I even found myself reading your poem with low bear voice! What a research you've done for this prompt! Gratitude.
ReplyDeleteThis shows how we intrude into the lives and habitats of those who cannot speak for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI love you and your amazing poetry :)