The Poetry Corner

When the Bear Comes Back Again

By Henry Lawson

Oh, the scene is wide an dreary an the sun is settin red, An the grey-black sky of winters comin closer overhead. Oh, the sun is settin bloody with a blood-line on the snow, An across it to the westward you can see old Bruin go; You can see old Shaggy go, You can see the brown Bear go, An hes draggin one leg arter, an hes travellin pretty slow. We can send a long shot arter, but he doesnt seem to know, Theres a thin red line behind him where its dripped across the snow; He is weary an hes wounded, with his own blood hes half-blind, He is licked an hes defeated, an hes left some cubs behind; Yes, hes left some cubs behind; Oh, hes left some cubs behind; To the tune of sixty thousand he has left some cubs behind. Oh, theyve pulled him by the nose-ring and theyve baited him in pits, An they bluffed him, an they bruised him, an they mostly gave him fits; But he hugged em badly one time when they tried him in his den, An hell make it warm for someone when he comes back East again; When the Bear comes back again, When hes lopin round again, Therell be lively times for Jacko when the Bear comes back again. Oh, we chased him out of Turkey, I dont know for what idea, It took two dogs an a lion for to beat him in Crimea; Hes goin home to lick his wounds, hes goin to his den, But hell make it warm for someone when he comes South-East again, When the Bear comes back again, When old Bruin comes again, He will make some dead to die on when he comes back from his den. Keep a sharp look-out behind you, every way you turn, my lad, It dont matter who you might be, for you bet the Bear is mad; Keep a sharp look-out to Norard, to the South an West an East, For he mostly always finds you where you most expect him least; Where you most expect him leastest, Where you most expect him least, Oh, youll catch him grabbin for yer where you most expect him least.