J.L. Stanley - Ungnyeo the Bear Woman

Ungnyeo the Bear Woman

So here's the myth:

Bear and Tiger yearned to be human

And Hwanung, son of heaven,

took pity on the two -

One hundred days in a cave, he declared,

Live on a handful of mug-wort and twenty garlic cloves!

That's all they had to do.

And so, patiently, patiently, the gentle bear waited.

(unlike the prowling, growling tiger who

had places to go and things to do,

and who bolted after seven days and seven nights -

snarling - I'm outta here -

so desperate was that Tiger to be free!)

But the patient, gentle bear waited.

The bear expected nothing.

The bear had no other agenda

or appointments or galas to attend,

Life stretched out before that bear

as barren as the tundra

on a dark night in winter.

The bear waited.

In isolation, in deprivation,

In the cold, damp cave,

munching garlic and mug-wort

sleeping, dreaming

of fur-less grace

of limb, and soft curve

of body and brilliant eyes,

not really believing it could happen

but hoping, hoping

prepared to wait

those long, empty hundred days.

But on day twenty-one,

dark brown pelt falling

tattered to her feet,

a woman emerged from the cave,

glistening, beautiful,

and full of joy.

So what happened next?

What about those other

seventy-nine days?

Isn't that the real myth?

The real mystery?

Things come when not expected

Reprieves and rebirths

and seventy-nine unplanned days of happiness.

© 2006 J.L. Stanley