Polar Bear

How fierce the bear in its’ cage,
All gone to the wind,
All purpose lost in a spending of moments of madness
In one long shroud it paces through,
In the bright white of the painted zoo -

See, how it swims!
But in its head alone, my child,

And look!
There again!
It caught a fish!

But the fish is dead,
And the brain registers not a clue
In the drab white of the Bristol zoo,
As the sworn shadow of the seal
Locks in a battle royal round the concrete den,
In the caged-up pen,
Not a trace that’s true -

See! How it’s gone, my child,
How it shakes its’ head,
The spirit’s dead, my child, the spirit’s dead!

Sept 2001

A polar bear at Bristol Zoo going insane. Decades ago, now. The zoo has changed since then.

  1. 1

    Comment by loukya

    Bears should not be kept in zoos and they should not be sad.

    Posted on: October 22nd, 2009 at 8:31 am

  2. 2

    Comment by Michelle

    i think all wild life should be left alone…. thats not right to keep animals tied up in a cage whats wrong with people know days???

    Posted on: December 19th, 2010 at 1:44 pm

  3. 3

    Comment by naiza

    they should leave them

    Posted on: February 12th, 2011 at 4:11 pm

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