Poetry

Reuters photo

By

Alejandro Escudé

Boy and Bear

The boy and the bear found each other

at the liminal spot, where Boy and Bear

can speak—they talked to one another.

Bear said, “Don’t be afraid Boy, I’m here.

The boy, that first night, heard a growl,

and the woods were thorny and cold.

On the second day, Bear did not return

until late afternoon. The Boy could see

Bear had climbed down from Star Tree

to check on him. He felt Bear’s fur wrap

around him as night fell. Bear spoke,

“I have come to see you through this.”

The boy heard gnashing-whispers and

clung to Bear, and understood Bear.

By morning on the third day, the Boy

watched Bear trundle past the clearing.

He called out for his mother. The boy

loved Bear, his beating heart felt cold.

When they found him, Boy was Boy,

but inside of him lived the woods and

Bear. He’d go back, when he was old.

A boy who was lost in the woods says a bear kept him company – CNN

Alejandro Escudé

Alejandro Escudé’s first book of poems, My Earthbound Eye, was published in September 2013. He holds a master’s degree in creative writing from UC Davis and teaches English. Originally from Argentina, Alejandro lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.