we hear rustling
the sound only a bag can make
that belongs to chips
or cheesy goodness
he rolls over
head on my lap
and strains his face and nose
towards the sound
another rustle
eyes wide
I can see his bear face thinking
is this a snack worth leaving
the warmth of bed
and then a few minutes pass
and I see his eyes droop
apparently there are other snacks
better than a nap
to this gray nose
Labrador retriever
the dog star
one night
a star catches his eye
it looks like one of those tiny flashing things
that are loud and fly over the house
and must be caught and destroyed
he barks and shakes his brown head, ball hanging on for dear life
you get that plane, Koda bear
the humans laugh
it’s the dog star, babe
he’s barking at the dog star
maybe he makes a wish:
oh, your great wolfyness
(bark, growl)
make it so
every night is ball night
with four meals a day
instead of just two
and make the bunnies easy to chase
and the neighbors love on us everytime we see them
and make it so every day is a snow day
but also with mud
and water to splash in
and the bed is never off limits ever
and the humans never have to leave us
and the humans think:
don’t leave me
let them run under your skies forever
night walk
the chill air laps at noses
and it slobbers on paws
and there, a silver sliver moon
during our evening walk
icy puddles shine like diamonds
the ‘don’t-walk-here’ mirror
an owl hoots nearby
come here, come here
the shush-shush of snow on boots
and the sound of passing cars
me: you’re barking at nothing!
no–we’re barking at the stars!
hah. I’m proud of my little sketch. I’m trying to get better. Bought some watercolor supplies the other day.
January almost done! I hope you all have a great week!
AJM
labs
Koda bear likes nothing more
than stretching out across the kitchen floor
and there he lies like time forgot
a chocolate lab
in the most inconvenient spot
I’ve been posting a lot of dog poems lately, and while I should finish up my lastest poetry project, I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a poetry book with dog poems and some short essays. Maybe featuring this chocolate chunk.
Anywho, dogs are adorable and if you’re someone who thinks they are messy and loud and smelly – well, they totally are, but you can’t beat the love from a dog. They love us when we don’t deserve it sometimes. Hope you have a fantastic week.
AJM
how to trap a chocolate lab
get a bag
place bag on floor
tail wagging
his head will disappear into the bottom of the bag
you know
in case there are food items
and things to lick
mlem
lab caught!
Chocolate and Butterscotch
To be read as if narrated by David Attenborough
two large
pound cakes
a chocolate
and a butterscotch
wait for more
cakes of their own
disappointed
and convinced that
the next five minutes
are essential to their rate of survival
the cakes keel over
and in a weakened state
they slip into oblivious sleep
and start to snore
the slipper
he woos, a muffled woo
my slipper stuffed far in his mouth
I pat his brown fur and laugh out loud
and tug it loose
naughty bear
he wags his tail
someday
my slippers will be dry
and right where I left them
and I can’t tell you how much
that breaks my heart
Hi friends,
I accidentally went MIA these past few weeks. We went on vacation about mid-August, and well, pretty much hit the ground running once we got back. I can’t believe summer is about over 😫
AJM
Dogs
I bought a poetry book
about dogs
and all it did
was remind me
how short their lives are
we’ll have several dogs
in our lifetimes
they’ll have several years
if we’re lucky
and it reminded me
we don’t have dogs
do we
they have you
Vet Haiku
the dog is hurting
take to surgeon, cost of leg
walking, maybe not
Our Koda bear is at the vet right now, getting a sedated Xray to see the extent of a CCL tear in his right knee. It’s difficult when your dog is hurt. 😞 😢
The Basketballs
To the person who left
An old, deflated basketball
In your back yard
To Mother Nature
Who picked it up
Carried it to the next house
Then the next
Until it rested on a muddy bank
That belonged
To a chocolate lab
Who rescued it
Claimed it
As his own
To the countless hours
Through rain, snow, dust and sunlight
Spent catching, jumping
and loving this half-deflated
Junk that no one else wanted
To the person
Who thought that deflated
Meant not useful enough
Who tossed it aside
To the universe who knew
That a chocolate lab needed it
To the water
That brought it
where it needed to be
To Koda who
Loves, loves, loves
His first, dirty, lumpy basketball
That the universe gifted him another
To the universe
Who knew that a chocolate lab
(and their human)
Would spend countless hours in the yard
Playing, catching and listening
To the universe
Who knew that two, lumpy, half-deflated basketballs meant
More fresh air, more exercise, a friend and friends
To the basketballs
who often sit on our front porch
Lovingly named “Outside Balls”
Thank you
If you liked what you read, considering following me on Instagram @ajmorse_writes and follow my Facebook page A. J. Morse. My poetry book Walking in Cemeteries is available on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/cAsZUxa
For more of Koda, our chocolate lab, you can follow him on instagram @kodabear_thebud.
A. J. Morse 