big bear comin’
Hi, big bear, not afraid of people
headed towards your house*
we look at each other and nod
time to take precautions
to hide those honey bears
at the backs of shelves
secure the latches
on the hot tub
hook the zip line seat
in place
set the parking brake
and put the cars in gear
give the children
whistles in bed
close the piano keyboard
put the fuzzy slippers
close to the crack
under the door
(to pretend this house
already has its bear)
and pray it’s not your time
then wait
one ear to the ground
one finger testing the wind
*We got this text at dinner tonight. Considerate, alarming, befuddling. What should one do when a bear is on the way? We actually did: bring the dogs in, close and latch the main level windows and doors, abandon our plans to go across the creek to set up the wildlife camera tonight, cover the grill, and hang the hummingbird feeder higher. What else should we have done? What else would you add to the poem’s whimsical to-do list? We may need your suggestions for tomorrow!
Katie says:
Haha! I like the poem. Where were you staying at with a bear on the way over?
AEOC says:
We’re staying up Coal Creek Canyon outside of Golden, Colorado. Here’s the Airbnb listing: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/17558682
Kristy says:
Love the poem. A bear coming is a little more excitement than I would want!
AEOC says:
Still no visit from the bear (that we’ve detected, at least). Alex came up with another one: check the tire pressure. 🙂
Laurie says:
I love this! So creative to put the to do list into a poem. We have bears in Central Florida, but we certainly do not have to prepare like this. Usually, just a bear proof garbage can does the trick!
AEOC says:
Yes, luckily the main trash bins are safely in the garage. We live in Louisville, Colorado, and parts of neighboring Boulder require bear-proof outdoor trash cans now. I can’t imagine being a bear in a Florida summer!
Rhonda says:
I loved your poem, although the thought of bears honestly terrifies me. Hopefully it all ended well, it would be interesting to update this once in a while so we can see how you are handling it lol
AEOC says:
We haven’t even found any tracks yet, although the dogs have barked a few times without us being able to identify why. Alex also brainstormed some things to add to the poem, including “change the wifi password” and “rekey the doors.” I think I should add “account for all the porridge/oatmeal/granola in the house,” too.
Carol says:
When we have bears visiting our property, we get the dogs and cat inside, then look out the window to watch the bears in awe and wonder.
AEOC says:
Where do you do your bear-watching? Are your bears reasonably afraid of people? Do you ever have a hard time getting the pets to come in?