Poetry: A Flying Puppy FIB

FLD GUS:  FLYING PUPPY

FLD Gus has this flying-thing going on lately.  Everywhere he goes, he LEAPS.  LEAPS onto his mat, LEAPS through the snow to find a place to "park," LEAPS over puddles of slush at the corner when we cross the street.

It is as if he has springs for legs.

The other morning, he decided that a comfortable place to chew his Kong was ON MY LAP.  I was sitting on a low rocking chair and he sat facing me, red Kong hanging out the side of his mouth like a cigar.  Without warning, without coiling to spring, he SPRANG straight UP and landed on my lap, light as a feather!

What control!  What precision!

Andy was relaxing on the recliner across from me.  After a few moments of uncontrolled giggling, I said, I wish you could have seen him from this angle!

After a few more moments of unabashed guffawing, Andy replied, "I was wishing you could have seen him from my angle!"

Oh silly puppy.  Those aren't wings, but springs! 

A FIB IN RESPONSE

          "puddle-jumping puppy"

          spring

          wings

          take air--

          precision

          in 53 pounds--

          Labrador learns levitation

Poetry: A FIB for the Dog Days of Summer

Too hot for my liking, or FLD Mike's either, I think.  A short walk early in the morning and Mike plops to the floor as soon as we re-enter the house.  He is more content to hang out in the air-conditioning!  Here's my "torrid 10-month-old," another "FIB" inspired by FLD Mike's reaction today.

torrid 10-month-old

freight

train

lab drools

cool on tile

sprawled beside the door

summer swelter shortens our walk

Poetry: A FIB Variation

Yesterday evening, Andy and I took FLD Mike and Gypsy to Metro Beach for a walk.  It is wonderful to be able to take our dogs into the park now.  Previously, dogs were prohibited, although Future Leader Dogs have always been allowed.  There are numerous opportunities for distraction training.  FLD Mike is a week away from his 9-month birthday, and mild-mannered as he is, he still challenges me during this adolescent phase!  The following poem was inspired by our visit to the Beach.

I expanded this "FIB" to 10-lines, reversing the number of syllables in each line after the sixth eight-syllable line, to highlight my struggle with distracted FLD Mike this night.  Try it yourself; leave me a FIB of your own in the comments box!  It's fun.

"almost-9-months-un-neutered-lab"


Coast-

line

heel--Mike

strains against

command, his teen-brain

coursing testosterone, coerced

to opposition.

Mike.  Heel.

I

win. 
 

Poetry: A May FIB

"caught"

too
hot
to do
much else but
hang out in the cool
-Mike's last thoughts before his head drops

(For more on FIBs, check out this website)

Poetry: "4:15 am"

In honor of "Poetry Month" (April), here is another FIB in my Leader Dog Poem series.  This is a typical occurrence when we suffer through the potty-training phase.

4:15 am

dull

pain

in my

back pulls me

out of bed to pee

now I’m outside with the puppy

Running in April in Michigan, or...(another FIB!)

I penned this poem earlier this month after a run with my dog Gypsy, but the sentiments are still appropriate after the temperature extremes this past week!  (It's another FIB, check out Gregory K's blog:  GottaBook.  Thanks again, Gregory!)


Running in April in Michigan or, Nature's Disenchanted Intimacy

Two
days
ago
we ran hot,
skin sizzled to touch.
Today, measured breath is frigid.

Finger Sweep

Poem day.   Here's a "FIB" inspired by my many walks with young puppies.  Check out Gregory K's blog, "GottaBook" for the detailed definition of a FIB:  a 20 syllable poem based on the mathematical "Fibonacci sequence."  You'll appreciate my verse if you've ever found yourself wishing you had named your puppy "Kirby" (as in the "vacuum").

Finger Sweep

butts,

gum

wrappers

leaf, stone, twig,

plastic thingy, rock.

Litter-picker-upper puppy