Paper Bear

This next poem was one of many that were spawned from my hour and twenty minutes in Prof. Darr's Read Poetry class. I was thinking about my good friend Shawn Lucas. For one reason or another Shawn has become known as "Panda Shawn". Alyssa says he looks like a panda bear. Now, whether or not thats true or not I'll leave up to you. Anyways, Shawn is a rather emotionally sensitive person who can take things and misconstrue them because of a sort of blind anger/sadness that overcomes him. So, as I was sitting in poetry class I thought, "Hmm panda bear... paper bear." That idea stuck in my brain, and I went to work on it. I think its an interesting image because bears are usually perceived as strong, scary, and in the case of teddy bears, soft. But to add the idea of a bear made of paper changes this wholly. I guess its an abstract look at the old saying, don't judge a book by its cover. Shawn may look big and tough, but he couldn't be more fragile emotionally, and perhaps physically (he always complains about he has brittle wrists). Overall, I liked this poem and it was well received by those to whom I read it, but Shawn I think had a different opinion. When I had told him i wrote a poem about him, he must've thought it was going to be the wonderful poem of praise and happiness, when conversely the poem is rather sad. I think he was a bit taken aback when I read it to him, but that is the image that sticks in my mind when i think of him. As much as he is my friend, he got some things he needs to work out, and I see this. So I suppose you're wanting to read the poem now, eh? Here you go, Paper Bear:

Paper Bear

Your bulk hiding behind a striped sweater
And never jeans.
A face so docile, yet secretly hurting
Behind the brown fur along your jaw.
We must be careful with you Paper Bear
For you tear and break so easily,
Not by strike or force,
But by word and action.