A black bear sits alone br in the twilight, nodding from side br to side, turning slowly around and around br on himself, scuffing the four-footed br circle into the earth. He sniffs the sweat br in the breeze, he understands br a creature, a death-creature, br watches from the fringe of the trees, br finally he understands br I am no longer here, he himself br from the fringe of the trees watches br a black bear br get up, eat a few flowers, trudge away, br all his fur glistening br in the rain. br br And what glistening! Sancho Fergus, br my boychild, had such great shoulders, br when he was born his head br came out, the rest of him stuck. And he opened br his eyes: his head out there all alone br in the room, he squinted with pained, br barely unglued eyes at the ninth-month's br blood splashing beneath him br on the floor. And almost br smiled, I thought, almost forgave it all in advance. br br When he came wholly forth br I took him up in my hands and bent br over and smelled br the black, glistening fur br of his head, as empty space br must have bent br over the newborn planet br and smelled the grasslands and the ferns.