I recently Amazoned my dad a copy of Dog Songs to read and share among his dog park friends. What a cherished volume of poetry, full of heartfelt treasures by the beloved master of nature poetry and Pulitzer prize winner herself – the one and only Mary Oliver! My own dog-eared copy lives on a shelf of my top favorites, next to other volumes of her work. Today’s chained Haiku was inspired by a poem from Dog Songs entitled Little Dog’s Rhapsody in the Night and my own little soul Schnoodle, Fitz. I’m flooded with warm memories of two years ago, when I led an adventure book club for teachers on Dog Songs, and the art teacher stayed late one afternoon to help us make adorable pottery dog bowls. We wrote For I Will Consider poems about our own pets and shared them – inspired by Mary Oliver’s poem For I Will Consider My Dog Percy, who was inspired by Christopher Smart’s poem For I will Consider my Cat Jeoffrey.
Be inspired and write about your pet – I’d love to share your poem here! You can email it to me at kimjohnson66@gmail.com, or post it in the comments below.
Soul Schnoodle
when my Schnoodle comes
snuggling, nuzzling, and nudging
oh, how I listen!
two little front paws
knead on my arm; a tiny
face peers up at me
his over-browed eyes
lock on mine, pleading to know
that I still love him
asking if he’s still
my soul spirit, reminding
me that I am his
nosing me to scratch
proof of soul spirithood on
his upturned belly
when my Schnoodle comes
snuggling, nuzzling, and nudging
oh, how I listen!
From 2019: For I Will Consider My Dog Fitz
http://drjohnsonscommonthreads.blogspot.com/2019/05/mary-oliver-mashup-month-may-3-mary.html?m=1
From 2019: For I Will Consider My Dog Boo Radley
http://drjohnsonscommonthreads.blogspot.com/2019/04/poetry-challenge-from-travis-crowder_87.html?m=1
Common Threads 