Bushed by Earl Birney

Bushed  

          By Earl Birney

Earle Birney's poem "Bushed" tells the story of a man who decides to live alone in the wilderness. At first, he enjoys the beauty of nature and learns to survive on his own. But as time passes, the isolation starts to affect him. This poem explores the connection between man and nature. 

At the beginning of the poem, the man imagines himself as having "invented the rainbow," a symbol of his initial belief that nature can be controlled or shaped by human effort. However, this illusion is shattered when lightning destroys the rainbow, and its remnants scatter into a mountain lake. This marks the realization that nature is beyond human control.

Determined to survive, the man builds a house on the shore of the lake and commits to living off the land, eating porcupines and relying on his resourcefulness. At first, he ventures out at dawn, but as time passes, the mountain seems to turn against him, forcing him to remain indoors during the day. Eventually, he can only go out at night, but even then, the moon and the nocturnal creatures mock and reject him.

As the winds shape the mountain's peak into a sharp arrowhead, the man realizes that his situation is hopeless. He waits in fear and resignation, knowing that the arrowhead will inevitably pierce his heart.

The poem vividly depicts the man's journey from confidence and control to powerlessness and despair, emphasizing the unforgiving power of nature and humanity's ultimate vulnerability.