Following

There dwelt in a cave, and winding I thought lower,

a rubber bear that overcame his shadow;

and because he was not anything but good

he served all sorts of pretzel purposes.

When I met plausible men who called me noble,

I fed them to the bear, and-bulge! rearl-

the shadow never caught up with his girth,

as those talkers never caught up with their worth.

And Bear and I often went wild and frivolous,

following a way that we would create, or claim,

but we had to deal sometimes with the serious

who think they find the way when the way finds them.

In their deliberate living all is planned,

but they forget to squeak sometimes when the wheel comes

round;

Bear and I and other such simple fellows

just count on the wheel, and the wheel remembers the

sound.

WILLIAM STAFFORD