Poetry Friday — Doggie Destiny

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It has seemed lately that my family owes some sort of karmic debt to the dog world.

A couple of weeks ago, my eldest daughter was bitten on the ankle by a friend’s anxious canine.

A couple of days ago, my very elderly and submissive pup was attacked by a neighbor’s pooch who jumped the fence.

And yesterday, our Arts in Education committee up at school was asked to revisit a mural because the depicted dogs were "off leash". (As my Small One said when I told her the story, "Seriously, Mom. It’s a mural!")

I’m mindful of the fact that we’ve got it good.
During the years when my sister lived in East Africa, we discovered that my mom
has some past life business to sort out with elephants.
For real.
They charge her.

So, dog shmog.
Except for this:

I really like dogs.
Actually, I love them.

I loved growing up with Sage and Smoky .
I loved lounging around with Piney in college.
And when those three dogs all died in their time, I cried and cried and cried.

And now I love Boca.

I love that we got her as a fearful baby and raised her up happy.
I love that she always slept under the girls’ cribs to keep them safe.
I love that she swims like a queen.
I love that she still barks for walks.
I love that she wears silent-film-star-eyeliner.
I love that she loves the cats.
I love that she loves us.

Got that, dog gods?
I’m fond of your kind!
Give me a break here!

Let’s settle this issue once and for all.
Here’s an old slipper.
Here’s a soft bed.
Milk bones all around.
 

Dog Music

by Paul Zimmer

Amongst dogs are listeners and singers.
My big dog sang with me so purely,
puckering her ruffled lips into an O,
beginning with small, swallowing sounds
like Coltrane musing, then rising to power
and resonance, gulping air to continue—
her passion and sense of flawless form—
singing not with me, but for the art of dogs.
We joined in many fine songs—"Stardust,"
"Naima," "The Trout," "My Rosary," "Perdido."
She was a great master and died young,
leaving me with unrelieved grief,
her talents known to only a few.
Now I have a small dog who does not sing,
but listens with discernment, requiring
skill and spirit in my falsetto voice.


(Read the rest of this gorgeous, gorgeous poem here…)

Aaarf. And namaste.

16 Responses to “Poetry Friday — Doggie Destiny”

  1. saralholmes

    If I were asked to “revisit” that mural, I’d go off-leash and maybe bite a few ankles too.

    As to the debt you owe, I think, instead, that it’s all a secret CAT plot.

  2. Anonymous

    That *is* gorgeous. And “Like Coltrane Musing” needs to be the name of my next blog. 🙂

    Hope your daughter’s ankle is healing??

    Jules
    7-Imp

  3. susanwrites

    Oh this is lovely. Thank you for introducing me to it. You know what a huge dog lover I am. Have you read Mark Doty’s book Dog Years? I really enjoyed it. (It sparked my idea to do my dogs and writing posts.)

  4. Anonymous

    We just had to send our old lady of a dog off to live at Brandon’s father’s house. She’s gotten cranky and on Sunday she bit Campbell on the face. It wasn’t fair to keep her here when kids make her nervous, and we couldn’t risk another incident. So now she’s off at grandaddy’s house, where there are cold tile floor to lie on in the heat of summer, deer and racoons to sniff after, and no little kids to pester her.

    hokgardner

  5. kellyrfineman

    I cannot pick a favorite between the two. I love them both. And want more details on your mother’s experience with the heffalumps.

  7. anasmum

    I hesitate to say this

    But maybe you can work off that debt by adopting a puppy?

    We recently adopted a lab/shepherd or part something and something else pup and the giggle factor in our house has gone up about 7000%.

  8. mlyearofreading

    You must check out TUPELO RIDES THE RAILS by Melissa Sweet. I’m pretty sure you’ll LOVE it. (Great dog story–fabulous illustrations.)