Pictures spread on social media this morning 
of a bear on a bank of the Green River
in Yosemite (pronounced YO smite).
Shouldn’t take long for someone to shoot it
because they can
but blame fear
for their kids’ safety,
kids like those on the school playground,
who, symbolically protected by chain link,
I walked by this afternoon 
on my way to the public library,
kids whose chatter lulled
when I appeared
and whose eyes glanced
to my hands–
a split-second, unconscious
risk assessment– 
before returning to play.
I was carrying 
books.