Behold, the Russian Bear,
ambling ’round without a care;
In search of tasty goodies,
he pokes around the honey bins.
Behold, this drunken bear,
who so belligerently dares
to trample in his neighbor’s yard
while peacefully they sleep.
Gaze upon the grisly bear
which yearns yet of a colder era;
When all it took was a flex
of Papa’s claws to claim victory.
Now, this bear’s dreams of glory
have pulled him too far from home;
Alone, without an umbrella,
he’s caught out in the rain.
See how the other beasts mock you?
Can’t you hear the nightingale’s screech?
O young cub, I beseech you,
heed the wise eagle’s warning.
Mother Russia, look how she weeps:
She doesn’t want her cubs out here,
but your dreams of grandeur
put her in an awkward place.
O bear, please… go home.
Rush on back to your rightful place.
Your Mother can’t bear to watch
as the rain lashes across your face.
If you’ve been around a while, you’ll probably recognize this poem. First published on March 1, 2022, it’s a commentary on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and it’s one of the pieces I’m most proud of. I even wrote a pseudo-sequel to it: Nuclear Chicken.
So, why re-publish it now? Sadly, it’s still just as relevant as it was last year, but that’s not why. Rather, it’s because I’m planning to delete the site of its origin soon, so I’m archiving the works I feel are worth saving here. I may rework some of them (like I did with embers of a dying light), but aside from a few minor tweaks, I’m leaving this one as-is. It doesn’t really need anything else, the poem speaks for itself.
Tyler DeWriter 