Balancing the Bear

Christine Nagel, long-time cook on the Anchor D, wrote this poem in September '97. Christine is an artist and resides on the Anchor D. 

There's a most obnoxious large bear
Who's been visiting Base Camp this year
Our horse feed it enjoyed
And got Curtis annoyed
And drove Elsie, the cook, to despair.

Though Curtis had threated to shoot
That pest just did not give a hoot
In f act it got bolder
And as Curtis got older
It continued to pillage and loot.

It absconded with two bins of grain
Which apparently caused it no pain
Then it turned it's intent
On the camp kitchen tent
And ripped one of the walls right in 'twain.

But that was a day in September
A day it will always remember
Jan arrived on the scene
(Our Anchor D Queen)
And swore that that bear she'd dismember.

As she surveyed the mess in the tent
Her grip on the gun was intent
Wrecked pots, pans and food
Put her in such a mood
That the Grizz must have sensed what she meant.

She announced to the "Weekender" crew
And the visiting geologists, too
That she'd shoot it on sight
and so during the night
Their movements had better be few.

Later on after we were all fed
And everyone settled in bed
She kept watch with her gun
(Which wasn't much fun)
And kept thoughts of revenge in her head.

If that bear did come back in the night
It must have recoiled at the sight
Of pajama clad Jan
With her shot gun in hand
And decided on permanent flight.

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