A Concern

While strolling along a new sidewalk

I was stopped by a thin brown bear

It raised its worn paw to me

Having a concern it wished to share

 

The lair that was its winter home

Had been bulldozed for an apartment

And that cozy spot that used to be

Was now just many yards of cement

 

The forest that had grown berries

Which he once ate to stay alive

Had now been turned into boulevards

Along which a thousand people drive

 

His forest friends that used to be

Had been indifferently driven away

And he’d been reduced to stealing garbage

To get through each hungry day

 

People in this latest neighborhood

Cared little about any animal’s eats

And instead spent days discussing

The contents of an idiot’s tweets

 

Seeing animal control arriving

He desperately turned to depart

But this slow moving, half-starved bear

Couldn’t avoid their terminal dart

 

 

Reviews

[FGFRANKLIN]

I try to a blessing to whatever animals I encounter. I feed the birds and squirrels. I do not keep "pets". I prefer my wildlife wild and distantly friendly. They have been known to encroach though. I had to trap and remove a family of opossums that moved into my basement once. I catch mice in the house and toss them out. But really, any mouse worth living has a feast at hand to be had without coming inside. The rat snake living down there is welcome though. I tried to catch him by hand one day but he was faster than I thought. Maybe I'm just getting slower. Ha. I just wanted my daughter to see him but she got a look before he got away. We have plenty of wildlife. I accidentally trapped a raccoon trying to catch the possums. I set her free right away and she seemed happy to be on her way without any grudge held.

[Dave Brown]

Yes, the animals have enough trouble trying to survive without us adding to their woes
No Possums here
Don't think I have ever seen one
Enjoy your day Mr. Franklin

[FGFRANKLIN]

I like the possums. They're our only marsupials. I just don't want one for a bunkmate. (laughing) You too, my friend.

[Dave Brown]

Many thanks go out to the thumbs up response by whomever to this sorry scenario
Mr. FGFranklin has also written a piece (one of his many) exposing the bleached bones of this great nation
(And Justice For All)
Well worth the read

[Pete]

breaks my heart. we keep making more people but no one's making any more land.

... And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth ...

be careful what you wish for, you might get it ... :)

[Dave Brown]

yes, we have definitely overdone it
Speaking of the seas, there is some no. of tens of millions of sharks killed each year just for making shark fin soup

[Pete]

... can you imagine killing an elephant and cutting out its tusks just for the ivory ... :)

[Dave Brown]

yes, it is disgusting

[willweb]

So sad the situation of our wildlife as man continues to scoop up all of available land with only greed as his goal, at least that is my opinion. Your poem speaks truth and I guess a good use of the saying, the sad truth.

[Dave Brown]

I am inclined to think we have spread out as far as we should do
Now whatever, should be done within the present boundaries
I could go on for hours about the greed filled damage done to wildlife but I think this helps get out the message
Have a good day ww