Vision Quest

A Vision Quest Gift

By the third day of vision quest,
I just tried not to think
about the fact that I hadn’t
had anything to eat or drink
since I started.

Instead, I sat on a sand-covered beach,
a half-buried stick digging
into my hip. Hungry
mosquitoes perched on my flesh,
sucking out my blood.

I didn’t begrudge them the food,
just lay back on the sandbed
allowing a light sleep
to come over me
as a bear walked into my camp.

Tall and lanky, he ambled
down to the shore,
washing his face in
the cool lake water,
sand dirtying his fur.

He turned back and came
to sit beside me,
one mahogany claw
resting beside my foot,
brown fur tickling my arch.

Resting a heavy, shaggy jaw
on my shoulder,
he leaned over as
two bronze eyes looked into mine,
blinking with curiousity.

We sat, staring,
for a few moments
before he lifted his head,
opened his mouth and
bellowed a hoarse, rumbling roar.

He turned from me
and began to sidle away.
He stopped for a moment
to look back at me
before disappearing into the woods.

I woke up then.
On the sand next to my foot,
where there was once a
friendly claw, is now
a perfect red apple.