Dog poetry – Susan Joy Clark

Creative Life, Dog poetry, It's a Doggy Dog World, On the Funny Side, Poetry, Short funnies, anecdotes

Choc’late Bliss, #Laugh-Along-a- Limerick

A dog found a big choc’late kiss

That’s toxic to dogs; despite this,

The dog, he survived,

Besides which, he thrived,

And didn’t regret choc’late bliss.

I sometimes hear stories from dog owners that their dogs survive with little ill effect after eating something which is toxic for dogs. Even so, be very careful to protect your dog from eating things that will harm him. If you’re in this situation, call your vet.

This was written for Esther Chilton’s Laugh Along a Limerick challenge, using the word “bliss.” I thought I’d join in, although I may be a little late to the party.

Creative Life, Dog poetry, It's a Doggy Dog World, Poetry

Rest Now, Little Doggies, And Sleep, #Poem, #Quatern

Rest now, little doggies, and sleep,

Find a nook that is safe and warm,

Perhaps in the crook of my arm,

Your furry head on my shoulder.

Silly doggies like to burrow,

Rest now, little doggies, and sleep,

Underneath the warm bed covers,

In the hollow between my shins.

Who will claim the favorite spot,

Snuggled next to your dear Susie?

Rest now, little doggies, and sleep,

You both should find a cozy nook.

Theo lies down along my legs,

Remy rests her bum against me,

Then moves to lean against my foot,

Rest now, little doggies, and sleep.

This was written for Go Dog Go’s challenge to write a quatern poem.

This poem has 16 lines broken up into 4 quatrains (or 4-line stanzas).
Each line is comprised of eight syllables.
The first line is the refrain. In the second stanza, the refrain appears in the second line; in the third stanza, the third line; in the fourth stanza, the fourth (and final) line.
There are no rules for rhyming or iambics.

I wrote another poem recently about sleeping dogs, The Dreamers, but that one is more fantasy. This one is more reality-based, inspired by Theo and Remy, two French bulldogs I take care of from time to time. They are accustomed to sleeping with people, with their owners and then with me, when I am with them. Their sleeping positions amuse me. I am surprised Theo and I both slept with his head on my shoulder.

Creative Life, Dog poetry, It's a Doggy Dog World, Poetry

The Dreamers, #Poem

Here, we drift, floating quietly,

Along a dreamy, silver sea,

All my six furry friends and me.

Max, he dreams of his buried bones,

Rupert dreams of the hearth at home,

Chance dreams of bacon of his own.

George dreams of Frisbees in the air,

Winston dreams of old boots, a pair,

Rex dreams of an old comfy chair,

And we slip adrift on a pillowed cloud,

With only pleasant dreams allowed,

All seven of us — a small crowd.

Into a book’s pages I fell,

Dreaming of the stories I’ll tell,

My pen dipped into my inkwell,

And we fly along an azure sky,

‘Til our siesta passes by,

Me and six furry friends of mine.

I’m sharing this with dVerse’s Open Link Night. I was looking through my picture files for poetry inspiration and found this copy of artwork by Lisa Finch. I just love it for several reasons. Many of you know that I have an animal care business, so that was one reason. I love the glamour of the female character here, the fact that she has fallen asleep with an open book and the title of the artwork which is also “The Dreamers,” which seemed to speak of imagination and creativity.

Lisa Finch has an Etsy shop where she sells some of her work on canvas and also prints and note cards. I perused it and found so many more pieces that I enjoy. Animals seem to be a common theme, not just pets but wild and exotic animals as well. Many of her pieces seem to have a sort of female Dr. Doolittle character. She has some fantasy and almost surrealistic scenes with some old Hollywood glamour combined in there. I almost feel I should revisit for an art-themed post.

Creative Life, Dog poetry, It's a Doggy Dog World, Poetry

A Doggo and His Ball

Poem and Palinode

Franco, a little doggy I care for several days a week.

I have been writing some short stories lately, and though I am late for National Poetry Month, have been in the mood over the past few days to experiment with different poetry forms. I am always in the middle of a longer creative writing project, so it has been nice to write some shorter pieces and put out a piece of creative writing more often.

I came across this challenge by DVerse to write a palinode. As described on their page, “A palinode or palinody is an ode or song that retracts or recants a view or sentiment to what the poet wrote in a previous poem.” It’s possible to do the poem and its recanting in a two-part poem which is what I chose to do.

A Doggo and His Ball

Franco is a funny boy,

Doggo with a favorite toy.

Balls are this doggo’s delight,

Which he dreams of day and night.

His fixation is annoying,

For the while he is enjoying,

the ball it bounces, skips and places

self into inconvenient spaces.

Only a hooman on her knees,

Face, hands or belly can retrieve

beloved bally from its snares

Under sofas, seats, beds or chairs.

Did I say my darling was a pest,

Just because he gives me little rest?

Maybe I did, but only in jest.

I’m not sure my form is flawless — poem people, be gentle — but maybe light, comic verse gives me more leeway?

I’m showing off my lovely mismatched staying-at-home outfit in this pic, but it’s a good example of Franco being a darling.

This silly ditty below, by Gelett Burgess in 1895, was shared on DVerse’s page as an example of a poem with palinode, and I liked it so much I’ll share it here.

“I never saw a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow
I’d rather see than be one.”

Later in life, Burgess wrote —

“Ah yes, I wrote the purple cow!
I’m sorry now I wrote it!
But I can tell you anyhow,
I’ll kill you if you quote it!”