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What if I told you, last night, I fought off a bear?
You had just been pulled
from the lake. You still had algae in your
hair
And then we were sprinting
Through the field, willing the house closer with sweat
And tears. I was holding you as best I could, but
I could hear it behind you. I threw you
Forward, to your brother, and turned
Around. I put my arm out, hoping
That would be the first thing
The gnashing jaws would latch onto. The pain
Was distant- compared to
My worry for you.
Fingers without nails,
Teeth through bone,
Kidneys on claws.
What if I told you, last night, I fought off a bear for you?
Maybe
it was sated with me, blood dripping
From its mouth. It turned
Around, and I crawled
My way
To the house.
I hope I don’t scare you when
You know me like this.
I wonder
if
you’re too
young
to see this kind
of love, the
force of it.
Your mom will be home soon,
so I think I’ll stop crawling
for now.
Let her
find me
and know
what my love
did
for you.
Please, keep
The curtains
Closed.
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Comments (5)
Oh brilliant. I love that reflection on how sometimes love feels too dangerous for children to realise the extent of it.
Perfect imagery, I saw such pictures, just amazing! 😍
Yes. Just, yes.
Wow. Sacrificial love. Unconditional love. Violent love. These themes are rendered so vividly here. I had to read it twice. That last phrase, “keep the curtains closed” — that could be the last line of a haiku. Tells a whole story. Fantastic writing. 🔥😱
I love bears, but sometimes you got to fight them! 💝