December 13, 2024

WOOF
BOOF
says the puppy,
protecting us from the
unfamiliar sounds of
car doors
and trucks revving
outside

what a brave puppy!
but what she does
doesn’t actually protect us

[i hope she thinks it does
tho]

November 24, 2024

i haven’t done my regularly scheduled morning poetry
in days
because of social times
and busy-ness
and re-discovering art
and then
our poor puppy
having so much gi distress
we’re parents of a newborn
sleeping when she sleeps
and waking the moment she indicates
she may have
another accident

at least i can do things for my kip
like be ready with the wipes when they get back inside
or take one of the overnight outsides
so they can grab a little extra sleep
because at least i can nap during the day
they can’t
even without work
their day is
set
with awake

the puppy and i will nap on the same couch
we’ve been sleeping on for days
and again
even during the daylight
i’ll sleep when she sleeps
and be privy to her stirrings
immediately

September 11, 2024

blanket cat
blankets me with all of her
over my lap
dripping down my leg
covering all she can cover
in one tiny cat body
the opposite of loafing
she liquifies and spreads out
and blankets herself
over
me

~~~

blanket cat, also because
the minute you have a blanket on your lap
she cannot resist
the draw
of a comfy place to sit

~~~

poor little puppy ear
did nothing to the dog who was near
but something happened
and the bite landed
and now a little notch is part of our Comps’s visage

poor little puppy ear
poor little puppy
you don’t deserve this pain
or fear
or anything bad
but at least your cute scruffy ear is going to look
so adorable with a tiny notch on the side

[the one piece of solace
we have to hang on to]

September 4, 2024

write to the sounds of
indoor cats purring
outdoor dogs yipping
our dog boofing
even though she knows she oughtn’t
even though she’s trying so hard to not
but her little grumble/whine/barks
are so cute
it’s hard to scold her
especially because
i know
i can tell
she’s trying
she’s trying
she’s trying

September 3, 2024

the puppy’s barks are sharp
as she tries to get her ball out from under the radiator
and asks me to help her,
but the cat is on my lap
and i cannot give up this comfort and heat
on this chilly morning
after dropping my kip off at the airport
for a work trip, so we must endure
her plaintive wails
and scrambles to get the toy herself —
that is until i realize
she may need a similar comfort
as her kip is gone too

nevermind, she got the ball herself
she’s practically a grown a-dog now

August 9, 2024

just before
a big trip
the anticipation
the nerves
the excitement
the hours and hours of ‘what to do’
audiobooks
and d&d style games
and maybe just chatting
and maybe singing with musicals
and maybe
just maybe
the animals will connect
the way we usually do
on long car trips

July 31, 2024

nothing
is as comforting
as an animal
who loves you

the trust inherent
when they fall asleep
precariously perched on your lap
or cuddle up
so close
they are lierally on top of your legs
and they feel emotionally comfortable enough
to completely pass out
dreaming eyes
running feeties
wagging tails
in their sleep
purring until you too
are dreaming

it’s a comfort i wish i could give others
but i’ll just have to count myself lucky
to have built it in my
hassle animals