Ursus

Canto the Third
Song of Old George

It should be clear by now, I think
that though this story’s silly
It’s not about a bet or drink
But is about a bully.

Who rules his bar room kingdom so
With strong-armed iron fist
And brooks no contradiction, though
more oft than not ~ he’s pissed!!

The barfly leader, tall and fat
A tyrant amongst men:-
Turned to our hero; then he sat:
“Now where was I again?!

Oh yes!” he cried (a fearful chime!)
And got another round in
“I clear forgot Old George!! It’s time
he came down off the mountain.”

At these fell words; a hush came down
the bar room felt quite odd.
“Is George your friend?” our hero frowned
The barflies all guffawed!

“Why yes! He is a friend, of course!!”
the barfly leader bellowed
“Though strange in ways ~ and rather coarse
He is an ersine fellow.”

The barflies bellowed to a man
The landlord smiled within
The barfly leader raised a hand
to quieten the din.

“Each night, at dusk, as nature calls
And winter takes possession
of mountains, valleys, forests, all
Old George comes for a session

Of drinking, feasting, climbing heights
With George there is no barter!
It is with him that you must fight
And George will give no quarter.”

The leader of the barflies smiled
The wanderer’s heart unravelled
He thought of all those long hard miles
which he’d already travelled

And wished for more ~ just two or three
Along that path of sighs
To take him far away from these
Ungodly, guileless eyes.

The time has come around, at last
to bring to your attention
The oddest member of our cast
Till now, he’s been but mentioned.

It is Old George of whom I speak
that coarse and loutish guy
Who lumbers down from mountain peak
The bane of all Barflies!

For down the years, across the land
in which we set our story
Old George has severed many hands
and left some others gory.

He’s taller than the tallest man
and stronger than old Samson
Eats fish alive; not from a pan:
and no-one thinks him handsome!

His face is long and grizzled ~ fierce
He wears a long brown coat
His eyes are small and dark and pierce
as they stare at your throat.

He walks with strange and sloping gait
Though none would ever stare
His arse is higher than his pate
Of course George is a Bear!!

So now you see with scales erased
The barfly’s cruel plan
He means to have our hero face
A Bear and not a man!

To grapple with such awesome strength
so powerful and sinewed
May be Our Wanderer’s fate, at length.
Till then:- To be continued…