The Large Black Bear By The Housatonic

The Large Black Bear By The Housatonic
Stood in the middle
Of the narrow dirt road,
Pretty much taking up
The entire
Width of the road,
A perfectly still,
Looming shadow.

He was calmly
Trying to understand
What he was seeing
Ahead;
Which was us, –
Two humans,
After a day on the
Bending river,
Having just finished,
Securing,
Two boats,
One a top the car,
Another on a trailer.

Black bears have poor eyesight
And we were downwind.
But, he could hear us, which I forgot, and
Foolishly spoke too loud,
For too long,
Which caused

The apparition,
Black as black can be,
Black as the new mooned night,
To comprehend.

I could feel
Us registering in
His questioning mind,

– No doubt this bear was a he, to my
Unbelievably resolute COVID-19
Quarantined psychic
Sensibilities –

As he swiftly then,
Made his way directly into the
Red-winged blackbird
Snapping turtled
Springtime
Forested
Thicket.