The Great Northwoods Adventure

by Lee A. Hart

Her second husband, he was known
To be a brutish man.
He'd prob'ly squander all she owned,
Or so the gossip ran.

The hairy beast was huge and crude.
He fought and swore and drank.
To strangers he was often rude.
His breath was often rank.

Returning home one summer night,
They found a prowler there.
The mess he'd made was quite a sight.
It was a grizzly bear!

The husband howled, "He broke my stuff!"
"I'll KILL that goddam bear!"
The bear, of course, just howled right back,
And charged him, then and there.

A fearsome battle then began,
With tooth and claw and knife.
She didn't know what she could do,
But watch, poor wretched wife.

At last, the contest reached an end.
Just one survived the fight.
He crawled to her, and touched her hand.
She held him through the night.

But as he mended, something changed
His fearsome attitude.
His manners were now rearranged
Into a loving mood.

He dotes on her with every care.
He's gentle as a dove.
Never shall you find a pair
More totally in love.

The two now live quite happily,
But few will visit there.
For no one knows with certainty
If he's the man, or bear!

--------

This is a poem for my lovely wife Susan on our Anniversary. We were staying at "da cabin on da lake" as we say in Minnesota. I found a card with a great picture of a couple arriving at their cabin to find it was already occupied by a bear. That was the inspiration for this poem.

Lee A. Hart