Hello and Happy Poetry Friday! Be sure to visit Patricia (who shared the "Bride Squad" in her last week's post about her Year of 6 Weddings!) at Reverie for Roundup.
No weddings around here! Though I was remembering yesterday the year my now-grown-married-mom to 4-niece dressed up as a bride for Halloween. So sweet!
Here's a poem (originally published in 2012 Scholastic's Storyworks magazine) I post every year in advance of Election Day.
Today's ArtSpeak: FOLK ART poem features a piece by Mary Flach. I looked at this art, and I thought "stray."
One of my daily habits is to look at the posts from our local Animal Shelter. Lots of strays, lots of "critical" posts asking folks to take in a plain-looking dog, or a dog overwhelmed by shelter-stress who doesn't "show" well to potential adopters. My favorite favorite-favorite posts are the ones that feature happy adoption photos! I love seeing the hope in those dogs' eyes. So maybe that's where this poem comes from?
Brown Dog
Brown Dog howls all hours.
Brown Dog roams alone.
Brown Dog owns the whole wide world!
But what Brown Dog wants
is a home.
- Irene Latham
Wonderful repetition. Wonderful resolution. It's what we all want. Thank you for the election day poem. I've made my choice. I'm hoping for the best.
ReplyDeleteLove Flach's art and your poem, Irene -- touching ending that goes straight to the heart. And I love your election poem; thanks for reposting!
ReplyDeleteI love both poems, Irene! Your daily ritual of looking at shelter animals made my heart skip. I immediately had to go out and browse PetFinder. Sigh. I want to take them all! Your poem Brown Dog speaks for every one of them.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, Irene...if I looked at the dog adoption pages daily, I would surely be awash in dog love. Hmm.... bucket list?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your election day poem. Here's praying that there are many quiet BLUE voices about to speak up this week!
I met a man yesterday at the bookstore who we know, and he stopped by to show off his new "adopted brown dog", Irene! I will share this with him! The dog was huge, he said about 130 pounds, but so sweet & friendly. And, I love "your voice is heard
ReplyDeletewithout a word." Yep, hope everyone gets out to vote! Thanks for the repeat for Election Day!
The longing for home in your brown dog poem echoes the reminder in your election poem to "Remember / the teeming world." Let's move forward with the intention to care for each other -- all species.
ReplyDeleteOh that sweet brown dog and what gorgeous art!
ReplyDeleteIrene, your poems always resonate deeply. 'Election Day' is a powerful reminder of our responsibilities, and 'Brown Dog' evokes such empathy for our furry friends. Wonderful work!
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Oh, Irene, I'm sad today reading your poem. (What a perfect picture you chose to go with it, by the way. I love the child with their mom in the booth.) I'm sad because so many don't seem to have:
ReplyDelete"Read the names,
imagine a future;"
I like Brown Dog looking hopeful at the house, and the repetition of Brown Dog seems to make me happy for him.