Today things will be pretty straightforward: a poem about an animal, they say. It can be only one.
Challenge 23: “I’d like to challenge you today to write a poem about an animal.”
Oh my dog I talk to you. Probably I never talked to anybody as much as I talk to you. You are here and I am here and we have each other to talk to. Sometimes I drive with you in the back and it’s stressful enough to drive around Rome but then I have to park too so I offer it to you, this part. You seem so fresh and eager. You always wish to take my worries away, melt my sorrow, lick my wounds. Especially the ones you caused. I started explaining to you when you were little what would happen next, where we were going, who was coming over, so now you count on it. For your birthday my mother wrote you a poem. Not a poem, a rap, she is a rapper. And you were staring into the speakers as my mom was rapping, alert, without a move, fully confident that it was for you. I tried many things when you were little: showing you five fingers for a five-minute wait, both hands for ten, and both hands twice for twenty, and if I did this last you lied down because clearly the wait would be long. I hid behind a tree for you to find me. I waited for quite a while and then you came strolling by from the other side as if asking: “Coming?” The way you find things I lose. I started to count on that. The last time was a button by the road. Before doing the same walk the next day I showed you the remaining buttons on my coat, looked into your eyes and said: “See? One is missing. Will you find it for me?” And we walked to the station. I looked down left and right, and thought it impossible to find that button again and grew discouraged and stopped looking, but then you stopped to smell a dandelion and what was there next to it if not my button? And I laughed and cheered and hugged you and you showed surprise again: “What did I do?” You do. Keep doing what you do so well. Live. Love. Smell the dandelions.
The photos are pretty straightforward too, of our good life. Listen to this advice if it’s all you ever do: get a dog.
Awww what a cute pup! Great poem
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Thank you, M.B. 🙂 He’s my friend!
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What a beautiful tribute to a great friend. You have a very close relationships. Dogs are the most wonderful gift to us in life. I love how you taught him to count. I am going to try that with my next dog, or maybe even with my current dog. I never want to be without a dog. So I echo your advice. Man’s best friend – indeed. Dogs are Love.
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Yeahh! Thank you, Amanda. 🙂 True, dogs are LOVEEEE! I always wished to have a dog when growing up and only got my wish when I was 30 when we found an entire newborn litter in the trash, raised three, and kept one – our first dog. This one is the second. Never more dogless!
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Agreed. They so enrich one’s life. Yo had to wait for too long. Will you get a second one. Two dogs is a lot of work but double the fun.
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Hahha, no! One bestia is quite enough. 😀 (Or actually, two. Let’s not forget MOTH!)
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Haha! Yes!
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I love this! And what a sweetie your dog is!
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Thank you, Maggie! ❤ He is, isn't he? 😀
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The best of companions. (K)
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Oh yes, K. Thank you!
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This was great to read. Thank you for sharing. I love the pictures too. ❤
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You’re always most welcome, sly. ❤
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All very sweet. I’m just beginning to understand dogs.
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Thank you, Scooj. Never too late. 🙂
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What a happy soul he is!
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Thank you, Emma. 🙂 I’m glad it shines through.
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Oh, what a fun read, Manja!
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Thank you, Sue! 🙂 A never-ending inspiration.
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😊
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Wonderful! Have you ever read Mary Oliver’s “Dog Poems”? A whole book of poetry about her various dogs over her lifetime. Your poem is in her spirit.
the picture of your pup and the naked lady made me smile. And then she walks away. There’s a poem in those two pics for sure!
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Ahh, thank you, Susanne. But it’s a he! 😉 He walks away! His name is Fonzie but I call him bestia (beast in Italian).
I have read some Mary Oliver but not this book. I’m sure she got the dog spirit down though, perceptive as she was. I’ll look it up most gladly. Thank you!
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Great poem and seriously cute dog.
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Thank you, Sheree! 🙂 Oh yes, he is a darling! 🙂
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Hahah, so funny and also sweet. Bestia is such a curious, wise, and expressive little guy, isn’t he? This was my favorite part: ”and if I did this last
you lied down
because clearly the wait would be long.” 😍
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Thank you, SMSW. 🙂 He is all you say and he truly gets the concept of time. I think he understand the word for tomorrow too by now, and the word for “friend”, which I’m especially proud of. Now all are his friends, I tell him, so that he doesn’t bark at them: birds, neighbours, all dogs we see, passing cars etc. And I tell him that he is my friend too.
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He’s adorable 😍
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Thank you, Flavia, he is indeed. But we also don’t call him bestia for nothing… 😉
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Ah ah 🤣I can just imagine 🤣
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The joy just oozes out from him…. he is so precious!! A wonderful poem too, Manja.
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Thank you so much, Moon! 🙂 I’m glad it comes across!
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Aw, so sweet. That is amazing about the button. Have you read my letter to my two dogs and their letter back? If not, I’ll find it and send the link.
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Thank you, Judy. No, I haven’t and will most gladly. Thanks for the links, I just had to manually approve your comment with the links because of my settings.
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Oops.. I sent links but don’t see them. Here they are:
https://judydykstrabrown.com/2014/11/06/an-ode-to-dog-companions/
https://judydykstrabrown.com/?s=A+Letter+from+two+bad+dogs
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All good, just had to approve this comment. thank you!
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And I agree. It is a wonderful and tender poem.
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Thank you so much, Judy! ❤
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I love how this demonstrates your relationship. “fully confident that it was for you.” oh to go through life like this!
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Thank you so much, Erbiage. 🙂 Dogs have certain things down. I have a feeling we can go through life like this, but then others may get envious.
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What an art-lover, your dog.
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Hehe, thanks, Bojana. He is also well-travelled and quite philosophical. 😀
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He is a VERY good boy! Finding buttons and counting time. Magical beast ❤
And soooo cuuuuute!
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Hehhe, oh yes, Joey, he is all that! Thank you!! Endless joy with him.
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