THE OJAI BEAR [1]
A bear was killed in Ojai, California several years ago. The native "americans" have been holding Bear Ceremonies to honor the bear - the bear is very important to California. There is a picture of a bear on the California flag. But the bear was in someone's yard, and they called Animal Control, who shot the bear, not with tranquilizing darts, but with real bullets. This year will be the last Bear Ceremony. The following is a poem that I wrote on September 12, 2010, the date of the first Bear Ceremony that I personally attended:
To The Ojai Bear
Oso, oso,
Ursa, ursa,
BEAR
of pure transcendent glory
We who live
to tell your story
We will love you all our days.
We found you wounded
in the trees,
We cried and beat
our wounded knees,
we wept, we wailed,
we took you home,
but nothing further could be done.
Oso, oso,
Ursa, ursa,
When we name you
we are One.
Blessings,
Astreia