A Hungry Bear Doesn’t Dance

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Turlough

Mon, 30 Mar 2026
  • 506 reads
14 comments
 

 

A Hungry Bear Doesn’t Dance

 

He built your railway lines and roads

She spun your cotton, sewed your clothes

He gave his life to fight your wars

She dressed your wounds and scrubbed your floors

He hewed your coal and forged your steel

She sweated blood for every meal

In hovels plagued by rats and fleas

They suffered every known disease

Your purse grew fat but you forgot

To throw the pennies in their pot

Tools laid down; labour withdrawn

As they recognised that they were pawns

In your avaricious game of chance

And a hungry bear just doesn't dance

 

 

Note:

‘A hungry bear doesn't dance’ (Гладна мечка хоро не играе - Gladna mechka khoro neh igraya) is an old Bulgarian proverb meaning that a person cannot work if his or her basic needs aren’t met first.

 

Image:

My own photograph of the headstocks at Caphouse Colliery near Wakefield, which was closed in 1985 and is now part of the National Coal Mining Museum for England.

 

 

 

Certificate 12
Poem
Poetry in Commotion
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

A wonderful IP response Turlough, and as true now as it was when the mine in your photo was a working one. Have you ever read Germinal by Zola?

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I haven't read it, but on the strength of your comment I've just read about it. It sounds interesting, so I've added it to the list of books to buy on my next trip to England.

Thanks for that and for the cherries too.

Turlough

Submitted by GlosKat on

I've read quite a few of the Rougon-Macquart  series, although not all 20 !  My favourites are Germinal and Au Bonheur des Dames (which the BBC tv series The Paradise was based on).  

I remember particularly the scenes in Germinal when the miners are on strike and they have nothing left literally, every stick of furrniture has been sold.  One woman has nothing left to sell except her body so she sleeps with the butcher to feed her children.

That's a very good spot Claudine, and Turlough has brilliantly illustrated the poverty, unfairness and desperation of such a situation.  I know we're all complaining about the price of food and petrol, but we'll never be in such circumstances ourselves. (Hopefully).

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Aye Kat. It’s comforting to know that we’ll never suffer such circumstances ourselves but it’s a concern that people who are suffering in this way are not far away from us. And it’s utterly heartbreaking to think that a significant proportion of the world is even worse off.

And then there are millionaires and billionaires.

Turlough

Submitted by GlosKat on

There's always going to be suffering, with diseases and droughts and earthquakes and other natural disasters.

But so much suffering is completely unnecessary, that's what makes my blood boil.  This current war of choice is an obvious example, but just in recent years we've had Sudan, Yemen, Gaza and Ukraine.  Absolutely none of it needs to have happened.

If all the money in the world that is spent on 'defence' was spent instead on education, housing and health what a paradise this world would be.

I don't know what the answer is.  Personally all I can do is give money to charities to help those already suffering, and try to vote in politicians that I don't think will be war mongers.

I took a decision a long time ago not to have children.  I know it seems an extreme attitude, but based on the evidence I've seen in my lifetime we're a horrible species and the sooner we die out the better for the planet.  And we're certainly going the right way about it. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

I agree with you entirely Kat. I support charities that support Third World problems and I boycott so much stuff there’s not much left to give up. One of my biggest pleasures is Spotify but it’s also a major source of guilt in my life. Apart from that I do what I can. Many people do what they can. But too many people are blind to the destruction that’s going on. What more can we do in this awful world that festers with bigotry and greed?

I fully understand and respect your decision not to have children. I didn’t want to have kids because of my fear of the consequences of the Cold War but I’d forgotten about the consequences of Guinness and then… well once you’ve got one wean you might as well have three, I thought. The world seemed to get temporarily better and I breathed a sigh of relief. But now it’s significantly worse and my kids are having kids. Little Owen is only five months old. What will he see in his lifetime? I try not to think about it as I thank my lucky stars that I am old and I’ve lived a relatively peaceful life.

And if the money spent on defence was actually spent on defence things might not be so bad but it seems to be spent mostly on attack.

Turlough

Submitted by celticman on

'Buddy can you spare a dime' was that call to recognise what was and is the rabid relations of class warfare. We lost. I'm a fan of Germinal too. Zola at his best. 

 

Submitted by Turlough on

Once I built a railroad, I made it run
Made it race against time
Once I built a railroad, now it's done
Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Brilliant song! There are many versions of but I think Ronnie Lane (formerly of the Small Faces) did it best. I still have the 7 inch vinyl single of it.

YouTube - Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Turlough

Submitted by Ewan on

 proverbs and saws, although I'm no carpenter, so I'm always pleased to read a new one. You've used this one very well.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Turlough on

I collect proverbs and sores. Some are in embarrassing places but they're still to be treasured.

Turlough

Submitted by Ewan on

  A fine poem, with sentiments which will chime with many readers - and that's why it's today's Social Media Pick of the Day.

Please do share it on your own social media pages/accounts/et cetera if you can.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Turlough on

Aww, brilliant news. I'm delighted. Thank you very much Ewan.

Turlough

Submitted by airyfairy on

This is our brilliant Poem of the Week! Congratulations!

Submitted by Turlough on

Oh, thank you very much AF. That's great news. It's warmed me up on a chilly day. 

Turlough