Bears At The Window of Climate Change
Ekphrastic Writing (poetry, fiction, or non-fiction in response to art.)
The Bear Couch
“That couch looks so comfortable. I wonder if they would mind if I took it. The last time I was here I could have sworn I heard the woman say, “Ahhhh, let him take whatever he wants.”
And what with climate change, THAT I DID NOT CAUSE, a colder than usual winter feels like it is coming. That couch would sure be nice to hibernate on and fits my cave décor so well.
I noticed last time I visited, that it is the light weight foam, easy to move kind from IKEA. Comfortable for guests but easy to lift and relocate.
They don’t seem to be home, so I am just going to help myself.”
The Adrenaline Rush of Real Bears
One day when the only bears are made of wood, we will remember a time when we could drive in Yellowstone or hike in the Utah mountains or along the hillside in Montana and see bears — momma bears protecting her cubs, big black bears, or a soft and friendly looking brown bear.
We will remember, trying to remember, when you see a bear do you run, stand still, or climb a tree? We will remember the adrenaline pumping, the thrill of seeing a real bear.
And one day there will be no one who remembers a real bear, unless we change the future by working today.
Evolving Bears
Bamboo contains cyanide probably the plant tried to evolve so that nothing would eat it. But we, creatures of the earth have an amazing capacity to evolve, to eat poison, and live.
Bamboo is all that pandas, bamboo lemurs and bamboo rats eat. They have evolved ways to deal with the cyanide. Everyday pandas and golden lemurs eat enough bamboo to kill several grown men.
Golden monkeys, chimpanzees, and elephants in regions filled with bamboo, occasionally eat bamboo. Even humans eat cooked bamboo shoots.
But … just because animals and humans can evolve to cope with toxic environments, should we continually test our ability to survive?
Originally Published in Using Ekphrastic Fiction Writing and Poetry to Create Interest and Promote Artists, Writers, and Poets at https://www.nervewhisperer.solutions on November 10, 2020.
