taking time from poetry
to pat the cat on my lap
or encourage the puppy to play with her ball
or say random sentences to kip about
the randomness in my brain
[what i usually use this poetry outlet to express or explain]
which all makes for great connections
but not necessarily good morning writings
puppies
July 16, 2024
the cat, on her perch, on her throne of my lap
leers over the puppy, resting innocently on the ground
unperturbed by the feline creeping closer,
as she jumps to the ground, and the puppy
stays still as a statue, only her nose going,
the cat passes, and the puppy wishes
so hard that they could play
at least for a moment
at least for a day
at least for a lifetime
the puppy prays,
but the cat is only interested
in food and hassles
and annoying all other animals
in this house.
the puppy has no recourse, no resource to break into the cat’s heart
so she waits, calmly, for the next opportunity to start
it all over again.
July 4, 2024
morning pages
in the evening
as the fireworks
sparkle and pop
boom and bang
shatter and static
and startle the puppy
awake
June 21, 2024
how do morning pages feel so much better
with my kip sitting across from me
and a cup of cold coffee in my hand
and a cat perched upon my lap
and a puppy underneath my chair
and everything as it is meant to be?
when did i start liking
consistency?
June 18, 2024
is this a time so say i
love sitting just in the outside
sun shining down but shade keeping up
and puppies beside me continuing to pup
April 18, 2024
this puppy
is so damn stinky
what on earth did she eat
that we did not see?
April 14, 2024
the puppy howls for us
and the howl turns into a growl
which explodes into one more bark
and that is our alert
that there are neighbors
in
the neighbor’s yard
how dare.
March 14, 2024
a hassle of a night:
neither of us comfortable
neither of us falling asleep
[though we remain
quite sleepy]
the giggles take us,
then the frustrations,
then the crosswords
which usually lull us
instead carry us through the two-o’clock hour
of finding right answers
and finishing this past sunday’s puzzle
downstairs
with the puppy and
today’s crossword
[today today, since it is far past midnight]
to cuddle on the couch
snack in hand
trying to find where sleep might land
it finally does
[with interruptions, yes,
and puppy hassles]
but dreams do take us
eventually
dragging us
into a reasonable hour for awakeness
and here comes another
fretful
day
March 7, 2024
the ground was muddy this morning
from the past three nights’ rains,
and though the puppy hates to be toweled off
[especially of her feeties]
i successfully tricked her
into doing it for her-self —
i laid out the towel
knowing
she couldn’t resist
stepping on it
and circling on it
and pouncing on it
and lying on it
and walking on it
and stretching on it
and nesting on it
and i think her paws are damn near dry now
with just fifteen minutes of a towel laid out
inconspicuously
on the floor
March 1, 2024
the cat has been getting
braver
and brazener —
coming down the stairs to the level of the dog,
sometimes for curiosity
sometimes for food
sometimes for cuddles
and sometimes just to force the issue
of the dog’s own curiosity about her —
and every time we see
the two interact
we sternly, but patiently, remind the dog
“be respectful.”
so that she knows to let the cat lead the interaction.
[the cat still likes to bait the dog
into playful antics
that just makes her cat-sprint back up the stairs,
but each time they sniff each other/
or look without pounces,
the calm lasts a tiny bit longer
i’m certain
eventually
they’ll be their own category of friends]
