The 17th of September is the feast day of Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, a remarkable and prophetic woman, who described herself as ‘a feather on the breath of God’, and whose many works in theology, music, visual art, poetry and drama are still inspiring people today. Indeed she is coming more and more into her own, as one of her key ideas ‘Viriditas’, or the greening and life-renewing work of the Holy Spirit, seems especially apposite for our time. See this page on her by a contemporary Benedictine.
Paul now describes himself as “an old poet” and wrote this poem:
Dog Music
by Paul Zimmer
Amongst dogs are listeners and singers. My big dog sang with me so purely, puckering her ruffled lips into an O, beginning with small, swallowing sounds like Coltrane musing, then rising to power and resonance, gulping air to continue— her passion and sense of flawless form— singing not with me, but for the art of dogs. We joined in many fine songs—’Stardust,’ ‘Naima,’ ‘The Trout,’ ‘My Rosary,’ ‘Perdido.’
She was a great master and died young, leaving me with unrelieved grief, her talents known to only a few.
Now I have a small dog who does not sing, but listens with discernment, requiring skill and spirit in my falsetto voice. I sing her name and words of love andante, con brio, vivace, adagio. Sometimes she is so moved she turns
to place a paw across her snout, closes her eyes, sighing like a girl I held and danced with years ago.
But I am a pretender to dog music. The true strains rise only from the rich, red chambers of a canine heart, these melodies best when the moon is up, listeners and singers together or apart, beyond friendship and anger, far from any human imposter— ballads of long nights lifting to starlight, songs of bones, turds, conquests, hunts, smells, rankings, things settled long before our birth.
(Frederick) Ogden Nash (born 1902 in Rye, New York and died 1971 in Baltimore, Maryland) was cited by The New York Times as “America’s best-known producer of humorous poetry.” Nash once remarked, “I could have loved New York had I not loved Balti-more.” He composed over 500 pieces and was known for his unconventional rhyming schemes. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogden_Nash
Here is one of his famous poems about dogs:
Two Dogs HaveI
by Ogden Nash
For years we’ve had a little dog, Last year we acquired a big dog; He wasn’t big when we got him, He was littler than the dog we had. We thought our little dog would love him, Would help him to become a trig dog, But the new little dog got bigger, And the old little dog got mad.
Now the big dog loves the little dog, But the little dog hates the big dog, The little dog is eleven years old, And the big dog only one; The little dog calls him Schweinhund, The little dog calls him Pig-dog, She grumbles broken curses As she dreams in the August sun.
The big dog’s teeth are terrible, But he wouldn’t bite the little dog; The little dog wants to grind his bones, But the little dog has no teeth; The big dog is acrobatic, The little dog is a brittle dog; She leaps to grip his jugular, And passes underneath.
The big dog clings to the little dog Like glue and cement and mortar; The little dog is his own true love; But the big dog is to her Like a scarlet rag to a Longhorn, Or a suitcase to a porter; The day he sat on the hornet I distinctly heard her purr.
Well, how can you blame the little dog, Who was once the household darling? He romps like a young Adonis, She droops like an old mustache; No wonder she steals his corner, No wonder she comes out snarling, No wonder she calls him Cochon And even Espèce de vache.
Yet once I wanted a sandwich, Either caviar or cucumber, When the sun had not yet risen And the moon had not yet sank; As I tiptoed through the hallway The big dog lay in slumber, And the little dog slept by the big dog, And her head was on his flank.
Poet Edgar Albert Guest (born 1881in Birmingham, England died 1959 in Detroit, Michigan) is one of my first poetry heroes. He published some 11,000 poems in the Detroit Free Press and syndicated across 300 other newspapers. Known for his optimistic and sentimental verse, Guest was named Poet Laureate of Michigan, my home state. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_A._Guest
This is one of his famous poems about dogs:
A Boy And His Dog
by Edgar Albert Guest
A boy and his dog make a glorious pair: No better friendship is found anywhere, For they talk and they walk and they run and they play, And they have their deep secrets for many a day; And that boy has a comrade who thinks and who feels, Who walks down the road with a dog at his heels. He may go where he will and his dog will be there, May revel in mud and his dog will not care; Faithful he’ll stay for the slightest command And bark with delight at the touch of his hand; Oh, he owns a treasure which nobody steals, Who walks down the road with a dog at his heels. No other can lure him away from his side; He’s proof against riches and station and pride; Fine dress does not charm him, and flattery’s breath Is lost on the dog, for he’s faithful to death; He sees the great soul which the body conceals- Oh, it’s great to be young with a dog at your heels!
“Famed for his rapier wit as much as his ill-temperament, Henry Louis (H.L.) Mencken rose to national prominence as a journalist and correspondent for the Baltimore Sun.” See https://allthatsinteresting.com/hl-mencken-quotes
Two of my favorite Mencken quotes are: “After all is said and done … a lot more is said than done.” and “When somebody says it’s not about the money, it’s about the money.”
Tree of Life Pet Memorial Room at Stray Rescue of St. LouisOne leaf on the Tree of Life for our companionEtta Pearl, blind, deaf Min Pin Doxie
The second Sunday of September has been designated as National Pet Memorial Day since 1972. “When a beloved pet dies it’s like losing a member of the family, so this holiday exists to allow pet owners to grieve and to honor the memory of their pets. It doesn’t matter if the pet lost is a cat, dog, bird, or fish, pets can provide companionship and comfort that’s worthy of being remembered on this day of remembrance.” See https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/national-pet-memorial-day/
Two poems are offered today. The first comes from my book NATURAL BEAUTY AND OTHER POEMS published earlier this year.
Who Rescues Who?
In one year’s time, we have “rescued” five dogs. Or, more accurately, they have rescued me. They’ve taught or tried to teach me patience as well as gratitude and humility. Any failures were not on account of their teaching ability.
Who are they, who were they, what are their names? First, a spaniel, named Rosie. Second, an island dog from St. Thomas. Third was Etta, a blind, deaf Min Pin Doxie, and fourth, a nameless Golden Chow puppy.
Two of them came “knocking” on our back door; we brought them in, cleaned them up, had a vet check. One we fostered until a family adopted, one we adopted until heavenly-trekked. All were heart-touching, worth loving and divine respect.
We now have four adopted rescues as part of our family, all four elders in their respective breed. We are grateful to serve full- or part-time. Their presence reminds us of our interbeing creed. Their love brings tears and confirms our mutual need.
Second, is today’s haiku: National Pet Memorial Day
Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself? —Lao Tzu
I woke up yesterday looking forward to the day ahead. My Friday morning routine at the local Y is something I really enjoy. Two hours of high intensity cardio followed by an hour of Chi Gong/Tai Chi. Sweat it out. Burn it off. Release the accumulated stress of the week.
And yet, when I arrived at the gym, I was discombobulated, jittery and uneasy. Was it the morning fog that slowed my drive? Was it the audiobook I’d been listening to on my drive? Was it …. I really didn’t know …. but I had arrived …. I was here …. it was time to ….
You may not know that this international game is based on Latin Squares, first developed by a Swiss mathematician and featured in French newspapers in the 19th Century as Number Place, modernized in the USA in the 20th Century and then renamed and popularized in Japan as Sudoku which means “single number”, mass produced by The Times (London) in 2004 by a Hong Kong judge, “Wayne Gould, who devised a computer program to rapidly produce unique puzzles” and the first World Sudoku Championship was held in Lucca, Italy, from March 10 to 11, 2006. The winner was Jana Tylová of the Czech Republic.” See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudoku
Today is National Dog Walker Appreciation Day. Whether it’s a paid serviceperson or a volunteer for a rescue facility, walking dogs is an important activity with benefits for the dog, the owner and the walker. Quality attention time, exercise and bodily relief are just the beginning. See https://nationaltoday.com/national-dog-walker-appreciation-day/
First celebrated in 2016, this holiday was organized by Wag!, the platform that connects pet parents with local dog walkers. See https://wagwalking.com/
I am very grateful to be a volunteer dog walker for:
I walk 4 – 5 dogs singly every Wednesday morning and the human-animal bond (HAB) grows exponentially each week. Yesterday, I walked Wayne, Piper, Minion and The Supreme. We give each other such joy along with the time for staff to refresh their apartments while we’re out. I strongly recommend this activity for the nearest rescue facility in your neighborhood. It will do a world of good for all involved. 🙂
Today’s haiku: National Dog Walker Appreciation Day
Tending the tree of Life by Hildegard of Bingen 
Life Matters 