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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,
Its spirit’s dead, my child, its spirit’s dead!

Sept 2001

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

4 Comments     0 Pings

By Autumn Sat Feb 11th 2012 at 3:19 am  

I Have been chosen too write a poem about polar bears life, using; personification,similies and metaphors this has been a great insperation for my poem!
and i agree all animals should be left alone happy:)x

By naiza Sat Feb 12th 2011 at 4:11 pm  

they should leave them

By Michelle Sun Dec 19th 2010 at 1:44 pm  

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???

By loukya Thu Oct 22nd 2009 at 8:31 am  

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

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