George M. Noblitt

THE HUNTER

 

Through thick cedar trees in a narrow break

Emerges the tireless hunter

He knows his quarry can't be far ahead

A modest pace now becomes faster

 

Hour after hour the hunter moves forward

Following the grizzlies blood trail

Has loss of blood and weary days chase

Made the bear weak or frail

 

Along a stream that flows down the mountain

The bear now changes direction

He slowly turns upward to the North

How curious was this selection

 

The old bear's instincts have come into play

Casting away death for survival

He hears the hunter's pursuit close behind

And turns to see his rival

 

The hunter crosses over the shallow stream

And circles to the Northeast

He moves quickly as caution allows

This time he'll kill the beast

 

The old bear has been a worthy adversary

And this the hunter admires

But the patience of the day has been spent

And of the chase he now tires

 

He cuts back West to finish the circle

He's put the bear in a trap

The hunter sets the flintlock in hand

While the bear closes the gap

 

The bear overdue and a trap not yet sprung

As long shadows threaten the day

It was then the stalker came to realize

He was not the hunter but the prey