An Ode to the White Dog In The Park
Dear White Dog In The Park,
You see the pigeons. I see you.
I know what you want to do:
To spring amongst them -
To set them furiously fluttering,
To cause chaotic curlicues and see the flustered feathers wheel in wild whorls -
Yes. I know this, White Dog.
Before the Man-Thing comes to take you home,
Before the Holy Minute of Meat,
There comes this moment:
You must do this, White Dog. Yes.
Leap amongst the pigeons -
Seize the moment! Do it now!
Chase the pigeons, White Dog!
Chase them, White Dog! Chase them!
This thing came to me when I was sitting in the train and saw a big white labrador sitting in the park opposite a whole bunch of pigeons. I went for the rhapsodic free verse feel deliberately, but looking over it now, it's surprising how much of it could fit in with a standard poetic meter. Hmmmph, looks like I'll never be a Whitman.
ReplyDeletePS I was originally going to write 'Before the Holy Hour of Meat' (instead of 'Holy Minute of Meat'), but FFS! Have you ever seen a dog eat????
I really like it. Epiphaniac ecstasy meets domestic animal cutesiness.
ReplyDeleteEven minute of meat would be an exaggeration for the KOTGD Beagles.
ReplyDeleteYes, 'Millisecond of Meat' would probably be more appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThanks rubydot. Good to see you're blogging again!
I'm imagining you sitting in a poetry reading in a winebar with a black beret and a glass of claret...yelping and gesticulating whilst sitting on a stool in a lone beam of light.
ReplyDeleteGod, no, not the beret!
ReplyDeleteI do yelp and jump around though. Just ask Rachel - or Gem.
Trilbys are the new berets, I hear... Also a handlebar moustache would be appropriate I think :)
ReplyDeleteI actually had to do a google-image search for Trilby. Do I have to wear anything apart from the hat? I don't think a handle-bar moustach would go well with this Trilby wearer.
ReplyDeleteI bought a black straw trilby about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteLike the fedora they make _everything_ look cool
even me,
I like the trilby in summer, it has a wider brim than the fedora so keeps more sun off my face.