I went to a poetry reading last evening at the Karma Cafe to hear a friend of mine, Richard Downing, do a reading from his recent book Four Steps Off the Path. This one is about global warming. What does global warming have to do with guitars? Read on.
Polar Bear Blues
— for Magic Slim & the Teardrops
It’s not that the polar bears didn’t try
to adapt. One bear gave a shot
at becoming a blues musician,
Chicago blues specifically. Got him
a custom designed Luna guitar
and some Magic
Slim CDs out of a trapper’s house
he scavenged whenever
the owner was busy setting his snares.
Smacked the door open with a large white
paw. Checked the fridge first
before sampling the music
room. Even made a special trip to take
an amplifier. Toted the whole haul
far out onto the tundra,
set up as best he could on an ice floe,
glacial backdrop, a few curious seals
for fans, one penguin
who swore he was not an agent,
that he was just there because
where else was he supposed to be?
What the bear could never figure
out
was how to scavenge
electricity,
an opposable thumb,
an appreciative audience.
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