Barely Thinking
“A great many people think they are thinking
when they are really rearranging their prejudices.”
William James
American philosopher and author
“The way you think determines the way you feel,
and the way you feel determines the way you act.”
Rick Warren
American pastor (Saddleback Church)
and author (The Purpose-Driven Life)
(1954 - )
Bearing Up
A Sestina Story of Vainest Glory
I.
At first impression, any old bear
Might just meander mossy trails,
Ignoring growth at every stage
And how his rantings might be read.
Perchance he’d pause a spell and stop,
If only he had sense to think.
II.
His roaring, worse than one might think,
Far more than forest folks can bear,
May seem impossible to stop,
Discarding disappointment in its trails.
For grizzled grumblings are always read
As violent affronts for every stage.
III.
The origins of rage may find a stage,
No matter what a furry brute may think.
At least, that’s how the story read.
For sometimes, tempers are difficult to bear,
Laying loads upon those sharing trails.
Blundering beasts know not when to stop.
IV.
Still, even urgent ursines must stop
When damages have reached a final stage.
They cannot paw back evidence’s trails
As easily as one might like to think.
Someday, the consequences they must bear
When nature’s verdicts certain are read.
V.
Occasionally, brutish force sees red,
Exceeding every spirit’s whispered stop.
A fevered force consumes the burly bear,
And he insists on claiming center stage,
Not caring what an onlooker may think,
Nor wondering how he’s strayed from the trails.
VI.
Creation offers reason for its trails,
Which signal wise direction when they’re read.
The sojourner must only heed and think
Avoiding drooling prowlers with no stop.
Thus, passing through the perils at each stop,
Each traveler the dangers they may bear.
VII.
A forest scout may think twice on the trails,
Before a brawny bear has peace misread.
He may refuse to stop at such a stage.
Posted for a variety of prompts:
Heads or Tails (down on the farm)
…In Other Words… (William James quote)
In Other Words (Rick Warren quote)
Meme Express (“Pick-a-Prompt”)
Poetic Asides (April P.A.D. Challenge – sestina or poem about sestinas)
Pumping Your Muse (“first impressions”)
Read Write Poem (NaPoWriMo – “seeing red” or “red”)
Simply Snickers (“stage” and “stop”)
Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.
Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.
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I've known some people resembling that bear. Even I do from time to time. ":)
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