thoughts on a black bear, charging

she does not wish us harm.

i do not wish her harm.

i wish to pass, unharmed, along the trail.

she wishes to pass, her cubs unharmed, through the woods.

but here we are,

walking a familiar trail in a soft rain, my two dogs in front.

then a skritch skritch skritch and the dog in front barks.

two cubs up two spruces, one dog with me and the other,

the barking one, separated from me by her,

black fur rippling like waves of grass as she turns

to my dog, then to me, back and forth.

my dog barks, and she turns, four quick gallops,

and my dog dashes away.

she turns to my other dog, now leashed, and me,

now holding a can of bear spray and yelling words

i no longer remember.

she does not wish us harm.

we do not wish her harm.

we only wish to pass unharmed.

she only wishes to pass, her cubs unharmed.

the light rain falls.

in this weather she was not expecting us.

i will not find her here on sunny days,

when bikes and horses and walkers stream by.

but today, light rain, and a bear, protecting her cubs.

her black face, brown eyes and snout, framed by perfect darkness.

a beauty, even in distress. she shakes that luscious fur. then

gallops towards us, me talking loudly, her stopping

as we back up, back and back. she swings around,

my other dog returns, barking, wanting to get to me.

no, i am sure i say no, and i keep backing up, and she charges

my dog again, who again flees, and i back, back down the trail,

the hill, to go around below her, to hope to find my dog

somewhere ahead, safe, and in one piece.

she does not wish us harm.

we do not wish her harm.

only passage, only passage.

she is above us on the hill, somewhere, hidden by forest,

and could, if she wanted to harm us,

sprint down and be on us within seconds.

but it would take her away, farther, from her tree-clinging cubs.

i walk, and talk, make noise, watch upslope, while above

all is quiet. around her far around we go,

and there is my dog, running towards me, quickly

submitting to the leash, all of us knowing

how close we came.