Each month, as part of The Stafford Challenge writing group led by Brian Rohr of Portland, Oregon, I look forward to the virtual writing workshops and visits with poets. Earlier this month, Melissa Helton, Director of Literary Arts at the Hindman Settlement School in rural Appalachia, offered a bonus writing workshop in which she shared several of her favorite poets, their poems, and prompts to inspire us to write our own poems. For the next few days, I’ll share the way she presented the information and the way she led attendees to write poetry using mentor poems.
When we arrived in the session, Brian introduced Melissa, who took us on an exploration of four poets by briefly sharing a little about each. Then, she shared a poem that had stuck with her. She read a single poem by each writer and then gave a prompt, inviting us to write our own poems.
One poet was Dianne Gillam Fisher. She wrote the poem Milk, which you can read by scrolling down in this newsletter. The after-reading prompt was to write about breaking stride by rejecting a rule or law to do what is right. My fierce and unwavering love of dogs led me to think about how I would rescue them all, despite regard for any reasonable number of them.
Rules are Rules ….Except for Dogs
the rule is no more dogs,
the homeowner says
but I happen to be the wife
so I bat my eyes
plant a kiss
and open 2 hearts, 4 arms
…..and the doggie door…..
It’s true – – my heart remains forever broken over losing Fitz. I think it’s him from over across the Rainbow Bridge trying to send me the message that it’s time to open our arms to another dog who needs a chance at a good life. Last week, I submitted an application to Schnauzer Love Rescue, where we got Fitz and Ollie, for a Schnauzer who bonds strongly with one human. Dot Werner and Nancy Delf have been phenomenal about finding just the right fit for us twice, and I would not go anywhere else in my search for a good buddy. The rescue organization where we got Boo Radley went out of business shortly after we got him, and I wonder to this day whether Boo may have been part of the reason (he is anything but an easy dog)…..
And so the wait begins…..
Kim,
I love that we both wrote about our precious fur babies today and how much we miss them. My poem is in response to a prompt I shared w/ the poetry group I lead each month. I hope the just right rescue finds you soon.
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Glenda, I’m glad we share the love of dogs and that we both write about them. Fitz’s light burns on in my heart and I miss him every single day. What hurts most is that there can be a thousand schnauzers but never another Fitz. Thank you for understanding, my friend!
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Kim, your artistic digital logos are always so beautifully rendered. What digital app did you use to create this?
Today’s blog is newsy (thanks for that) and sad in that you have lost a true dog friend. “My heart remains forever broken over losing Fitz.” Good luck with your quest to find a new dog friend. Thanks for dropping in to join me at Poetry Friday. I appreciate your comment.
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Carol, thank you so much! I’ve been meaning to make a calendar of all the writing communities I can participate in more fully now that I have retired, and Poetry Friday is one of those. I regularly miss Spiritual Journey Thursday because I don’t have it on a calendar – – but I look forward to sharing more writing time with you. The app I used was Chat GPT, but I hide from shame when I use AI for anything. I reason it this way: I can do my own writing, but I can’t art. So I use it for art. :). And thank you so much for reading and sharing life with me.
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Seeing you use a prompt about breaking rules to justify opening the doggie door after losing Fitz really touched me. Did writing that poem help nudge you to submit the application, or was that step already in motion?
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Nora, thank you for reading and commenting.
Not a day goes by that I don’t still miss my Fitz. I wear a bracelet that helps keep his memory close to me. As for the poem,
I’m a dog person to the core. Opening my heart to another was inevitable, but the poem may have sped up the process. I am so thankful that you work in pet loss grief after seeing your page. Pet loss grief may be the most underrated trauma a person can experience –
one of the deepest losses for sure. So thank you for all you do to help others find comfort.
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Thank you for your kind words, Kim. Wearing that bracelet keeps Fitz close, and opening your heart to a new dog is a gentle way to let that love continue.
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