Our Ursine Friend
Our Ursine Friend
Yes, she smelled. When she moved, more than dust wafted, and though she seemed (from a distance) to lope with the grace of a scarf dangled from the neck of a woman who had never heard of Isadora Duncan, she was definitely a bear in close quarters, meaning Ming china had no chance, even stoneware a goner–
The good side: our rotten lettuce had no grubs; no need for ant traps.
But here was the true boon–and forgive me if that word is overblown, overblow honestly the crux of this matter–in her onyx-eyed snuffle, in that padding dance of claw and matte, she brought out our fanciful–
We would all lie down on the lawn or squeeze together in the bed–she never minding the overhang–and the dark warm funk of her fur somehow gave rise to fairies in the brain.
it was as if her quills, dancing lightly along our sides–for her paws paced when she was sedentary–were pens for all they wrote in us;
and I would find myself telling tales of the imagination–storyboards made up of whole (if hirsute) cloth. No more the veiled memories; forget the fathers, mothers, bosses barely disguised.
No, she allowed me to see in metaphor, even beyond metaphor,
and the humdrum of my heretofore gave birth to heroes on the run from rutabagas, villains fomenting fate, backdrops built from all manner of “olde” and new, and as I wove that bright-worded warp, she would grin with her sharp white teeth–
you too.
****************
A bit of a draft story for Real Toads Open Platform, hosted by the wonderful Kerry O’Connor. (Also for Gillena’s prompt on megafauna, though too long for that prompt!) Pic is one of mine; all rights reserved.
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Tags: Giving rise to the fantastic, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, manicddaily, Our Ursine Friend, overhanging the mattress, short short story
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ManicDDaily 
August 30, 2016 at 10:50 pm
I miss my Adi, she was everything you wrote and even more. Children also like that, with both we see another dimension to even common things.
..
August 30, 2016 at 11:51 pm
I do love the sense in this, to have a friend like this, helping out in ways she could, though a tad smelly… Great idea for the megafauna…
August 31, 2016 at 1:28 am
Oh, I have fallen in love with her! I want her to come and live with me now!
August 31, 2016 at 8:16 am
Ha. That ns tosemary
August 31, 2016 at 5:06 am
This makes me think of all the fairytales I read as a kid. They were magical but had sharp claws, just what a child needed to know.
August 31, 2016 at 11:09 am
I think it’s great that Gillena’s prompt gave rise to this story.. I think of all the wonderful bears of literature and feel sure this one has a place among them.
August 31, 2016 at 11:28 am
I love Her! Love the “quills” that were “pens for all she wrote in us”……and her funk giving rise to “fairies in the brain.”
August 31, 2016 at 3:59 pm
You are always so good at the art of showing the reader the expressions on the face of your speakers. I can see her–eyes wide and hands dancing to the tale–shaping each image, each feeling as the stanzas move forward.
September 1, 2016 at 8:50 am
“the humdrum of my heretofore”
That is simply brilliant.
September 1, 2016 at 9:34 am
THanks, MZ. k.
September 1, 2016 at 2:43 pm
There is just something magical about a bear. I remember fairy tales read while clutching my teddy bear. It was like a fairy tale character stepped out of the book for me to cuddle. Beautiful