He visits his new mountain retreat

in the bright colors of mid autumn,

stays home while his young wife

goes shopping. Stretches

his city-pale body

in the hot tub overlooking the lake.

Sighs in bliss, scrunches down, lifts his wine.

The first rain drops ice on his face, his chest.

Like a jack-in-the-box he leaps high. Regards

his soaked body, shrugs, sinks back in the tub.

Moments later, snowflakes dot his hair,

melt on his outstretched tongue.

He slides deeper into warm water,

into a doze. Dream-fogged

eyes fly wide at a rustle by his ear,

alight on the muzzle of a black bear

sniffing close. Both parties blink.

One screams. The bear

ambles away.

This poem first appeared in Acorn (2002).
Used here with the author’s permission.