Steve Berman Potery

Tornarssuk the Polar Eskimo called him,
“the one who gives power”
Barry Lopez – Arctic Dreams

Arktos is Greek for Bear

When in my dream they came to wave goodbye
saying they were sorry that we’d waited
too long for them to save us
I thought they spoke in metaphor I thought they meant
too late to save our deep humanity
the creatures we’d become by living with them
and among them from the very first
sharing our caves (their caves) with their ancient cousins
dreaming them dancing them singing their songs
carving them in wood and stone and bone
wearing their skins, inviting their wild spirit
to possess us both for healing and for battle
hunting them and calling them by every name
but their true name for fear that they might hear
and suddenly come looking for us

By the campfire grandfathers have told us
how once they spoke as we do
how once a bear married the Sky Chief’s daughter
who gave birth to our first ancestor
half bear and half celestial
the burden we still carry

And so I thought the dream portended
only the passing of that part of us
that we have lost and will come to miss
even more once they are truly gone
but now we’ve newly prophetic words
moulins, polynyas, thermohaline circulation
albedo melt loop and a dozen others
and read how we the clever but not wise
children of the ice that’s capped our planet
these past 3 million years
have in set in motion forces poised
to upend the only world we’ve ever known
and so I see my dream with different eyes
and wish only to thank them – the great bears
for the gift of all we’ve shared together

Steve Berman
Grants Pass OR
February/March 2020