dogs tell tales like humans do scratch an ear steal a shoe
a stolen slipper means, “I missed you” a sock in mouth means “hello,” too
love is the language that dogs speak except they say it with a toy that squeaks
or slobbery kisses, with head on your thigh hands in warm fur a deep, contented sigh
and muddy paw prints on the kitchen floor nose prints on the window scratching the bathroom door
a minute is an hour when you’re gone away because they love us every. single. day.
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
And…because we love our two buds…some pics below! We recently got a new golden retriever puppy. Meet Teddy! You can follow them both on instagram @kodabear_and_teddy
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.
Once upon a time, there was a dog who fell in love with a basketball.
He found it one stormy, November day floating in the stream behind his house and claimed it as his own.
Then, for the next nine months, he carried it around the yard everywhere with him. On walks…to go pee…to sniff in the stream for frogs and tasty bits of grass.
…for more on Koda’s basketball, tune in next Monday for a new poem! 🙂
This has been a project that I started this summer, and is a culmination of ten+ years of poetry from different stages of my life. To say that I am simply proud is an understatement. 🤗❤️
You might have noticed some changes to the blog. I made an impulsive choice tonight and upgraded my blog to premium. After 10 years of blogging content, I can’t believe I still use this site (although not as much as I did several years ago.) So the purpose of this site for me has changed.
When I first created the blog, I wanted to use it as a platform to just keep me writing and I did just that. Several years ago, I started to work on a self-publishing project and I lost heart in it. I started writing movie and TV show reviews, and I decided (although fun), that wasn’t a good use of my time. At some point, I also posted fiction and short stories, but also realized that I’d rather work on longer projects.
So, here we are. Blog version 3.1 or 3.2 or something.
I will continue to blog, but in a limited fashion like I’ve been doing for the past couple of years. And I would like to use this site to promote my novels and other publishable works. (Or I hope to publish!)
I’ve been wanting to type out my thoughts on this past year, but I am struggling to figure out how to organize what I am trying to say. A LOT Happened. Between realizing the world was thrown into a pandemic, there was the election to stress about, and at some point I was also working from home. Both Mike and I were very lucky, as we were both able to keep our jobs, and neither of us has been sick. However, I seem to want to add purpose to this past year…
Did I learn anything in 2020? Is that even important?
I’d like to think that I’ve learned something this past year, but it feels more like observations…not necessarily proof of self growth, but more like observations of myself and things I discovered that helped me through such a difficult year.
Self Discipline:
Not everyone has it. As a writer, I should be better at this, but I’m not. It takes a lot of self discipline to work from home to be productive while there are home distractions (like a chocolate lab who constantly wants to licks your elbow, or tries to leave his ball on your keyboard.)
Staying in Contact with Friends and Family:
With quarantining and social distancing, I haven’t seen many of my family members since the middle of this summer. I think the point here is that there are many other ways to stay ‘in contact’ even when you can’t meet together in person.
Group chats: My sisters and I have a group text conversation which we chime in almost daily; even if it is to simply tell each other what we made for dinner that day. I also have a few other active chats with other friends and family.
Snail Mail: I sent more letters out to friends and family. Sometimes, there is nothing better than seeing a letter in the mail addressed to you that’s not bills or spam.
Facebook Groups: I started a Facebook group named ‘The Resistance,’ (which was named by my niece who is an avid Star Wars fan.) Although not about Star Wars at all, this group is for friends and family to boost each other up and discuss any issues and concerns about mental health.
Although, I miss seeing some of my friends and I miss traveling, I had to find other ways to entertain myself.
A Few Discoveries that Stuck With Me:
Hamilton: In March of 2020, I listened to Hamilton for the first time and then practically non-stop for the next month or so. It was my way to combat anxiety and with all the tongue twisters of words in the lyrics, it kept me occupied singing along and I wasn’t worrying about anything else. Hamilton saved me from a lot of unnecessary panic attacks.
Animal Crossing: It’s very relaxing gathering things and catching fish in this game. It also helped me to avoid panic attacks.
Some Good News: This youtube channel created by John Krasinski was such a treat.
Writing: I feel like I was motivated to write a lot more. I finally broke 50,000 words on one of my stories! Although, I had this mentality: ‘if I die today, what would I have to show for it?‘ (I seemed to have some of the lyrics of Hamilton ingrained into my brain.) It still motivated me. Who would tell my story? What would my story, my history, look like in the future? I want it to show that I’m a writer…that I can get something published.
The truth remains: I will always be a writer, I will always want to be a writer (even if I find myself in a bit of a writer’s block these last few months.) But I always come back to it, like it’s a warm lamp on a cold, dark night.
This past year wasn’t easy by any means, but I take these discoveries and observations with me and try to look at them in a positive light. Here’s hoping 2021 has more discoveries, less hate and love for everyone.
I hope everyone has a great night. Happy New Year and Happy Writing!
I am very lucky in my current situation to be able to work from home. My heart goes out to those who work in essential jobs who are more and more at risk everyday. It’s been stressful for all of us. Our chocolate lab, Koda, has been providing the entertainment here. He might not be the most well-behaved co-worker sometimes, but he is definitely our free-lance therapy dog right now. Below is just silliness.
Stay safe everyone!
Amanda
When my dog works
It’s all about play
He sits near your chair
As you begin your day
Somehow, his ball makes
its way on your desk
His wet nose touches your elbow
You tell him to rest
Just when it’s quiet
You have to go pee
Of course, he has to come along
(In case there’s something to see)
Back in the office
You answer a call
He gets stuck under the desk
While getting his ball
He looks up at you
With a big doggy grin
Wagging his tail
Let’s do it again
Should I write, or take a nap? My body doesn’t really give a crap.
My head says no, my heart says yes
Maybe I should just get dressed
Just lying here in bed
The fan swirling around my head
My heart chiming its steady beat
Its really all up to my feet
Should I stay or should I go
The rest of you say no
Feet say yes, and wiggles toes
Let’s just see how the rest of this goes
This is just silliness this Saturday. But my, it does feel good to relax today! Just finished watching Guernsey and the Literary Potato Peel Society on Netflix. I feel so inspired to write now. What a great feeling!
Went and saw Christopher Robin today, and it was fantastic. I went in expecting some childhood nostalgia, and a heartwarming story and got exactly that. The animation of our old friends to look more like the actual stuffed animals is amazing, and makes you want to pick them up and hug ’em all!
I’m feeling a little nostalgic tonight, naturally, so reading The House at Pooh Corner.
Will also probably re-read Winnie the Pooh at some point, too. If I could ever write anything as well as A.A. Milne, I would count myself very blessed indeed!
I attended a writer’s group around here and someone recommended this book to all of us. It was a winner of a contest called Pitch Wars, which she also told us about. If you don’t know what pitch wars is, I suggest you Google it. Got a manuscript? Want some advice from experienced writers? This contest is for you. You get a chance to partner up with with a mentor, who will offer you advice and ways to edit your novel so you can pitch it to agents. In the end it’s like a bidding war for the best novel and sounds so exciting. I’m going to give it a try myself.
Anyway, this book is about four young adults who are brought together by tensions exacerbated by the politics surrounding the world of the novel. On one side there are those who have magic, or used to have it. On the other: the evil king who is determined to keep magic away for good.
Friendships form, romance kindles, and adventure makes this book as absorbing as the world the author has created.
A. J. Morse 