The Last Bear in the Dubrovnik Zoo

More bad news of death and hatred
in Yugoslavia-I was there
as a child
on the beautiful seacoast
now people are killing each other
Why?
The water was too cold to swim
and the boy I met was tall he was
only fourteen
Is he dead?
Would he hate me now like the others? On TV
they showed the last bear in the Dubrovnik zoo
Thin
Emaciated
They tried to keep him alive
some unknown heroes
But now
And the bear is forgotten
Dying
Dead
That was the end as far as I was concerned
That was the final
stroke
There was no hope of forgiveness now.