Woodsy Backwoods Poem

I saw Bear
shopping with Santa Claus
at the North of 7 Plaza
only he wasn't wearing a bib—
only a cotton-wool imitation synthetic
polystyrene white fluffy instead.
I saw the Bear
gracing a wall at the
Old Trout Lake Hotel
(part-time job),
looking self-satisfied,
smug back of the Mosque Lake Road
but a self-starter, no less,
lacking the wherewithal, nonetheless,
to be a serious shit-disturber
accolades & kudos aside, still
circus Work is hard &
good dancing difficult to come by,
poor dish of custard, sticky stuffed bastard.
yet the pay-off begins
when Bear gets home
with only grubs in the bank
and maggots to show
for his life's work, alas,
no fireworks for free
in the big grin as you den,
leaf-off frenzy
witch begins October
month of orange zen
zip up only can ya please.
[15]

Corner Store Fifties Reveille

I met Bear at the 5 n' dime
sipping a Cream Soda
he was voluble &
needed to talk...
"I got a shit-load on my mind,"
mumbling something about some
run-in with a Mountie—tampering
with Crown Evidence, the purloined Honey Jar,
in question, Jimmy Dean was there, too,
polishing his coolness though he would
have his own Run-In later in the evening.
As Marilyn had left,
I decided to forgo Bear's company,
still slurping his Soda &
crying into the bubbles,
some things never change.
[16]