Bear, Dreaming of Old Age

Bear, dreaming of old age,
Snouty, generous,
Close to all, muted
Like yesterday’s earth-worn deed,
Rejoice, breathe deep
Above your musky whiskers.

A plume of scarlet oak
Above your stream-sheened claws.
What has given
The flailing salmon
Their glint? 

The cranes, as you shake your head, tread
As if in a dream, alert,
Tranquil before your heavy sway,
Your brown, dank fur.

Bear, you 
Emerged, agent of the forest.
Today, which has no longing,
Is alive and grasps nothing.