Tag Archives: poetry

Feb 9 – Rose, Tyre, Tic Tac and Manifest

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Yesterday, in addition to walking The Supreme, I walked four new dogs downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Here’s how it went:

Firstly, Stray Rescue STL is 2 miles directly west of The Gateway Arch which is what I see every Wednesday morning when walking dogs. It’s a beautiful view although the road traffic can be quite busy and sometimes distracting for the dogs.

I met four new dogs this week and walked each a little over a mile for their morning exercise. I have an eight-to-12-mile block route that I vary based on the eagerness and pace of the dog. This distance takes 20 – 30 minutes and provides the staff time to refresh their apartments before we return.

The first dog was Rose Apothecary, a 3-year-old, Pit Bull Terrier. She weighs in at 60 pounds and could afford to lose a couple of pounds with someone eager to take her for multiple walks a day. Rose has a very sweet nature, yet can be a little skittish, perhaps due to her limited vision.

Next comes Tyre (pronounced tie-ree). He’s a large mixed breed 1-year old also weighing in at 60 pounds. He too is a little nervous on the busy downtown streets and hugs my side as we walk. Fortunately, he moves at a comfortable pace due to his size even if he’s a little hesitant at times.

Third comes Tic Tac. She’s a 7-year-old Terrier weighing in at 55 pounds. She’s loves going for walks and snuggling with her human companions. She likes kids and some other dogs but is not keen on cats; strong prey drive, you know.

Last, but not least, is Manifest. She’s a 7-month-old, medium-sized, mixed breed female full of energy and a real sweetheart eager to play and be by your side. She’s relatively new to the facility so there’s not a lot to share except she would be a wonderful companion for someone able to give and receive her love.

Today’s dogryu: Rose, Tyre, Tic Tac and Manifest

Better than the street

but a kennel’s not a home.

Can we live with you?

All dog photos taken by Stray Rescue STL staff. See http://www.strayrescue.org

Feb 8 – The Supreme

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The Supreme – 4-year-old female Terrier Mix at Stray Rescue STL http://www.strayrescue.org

Today’s senryu: The Supreme

Praetorian guard

retriever extraordinaire

best friend forever

I love The Supreme and look forward to walking her every Wednesday morning. My goal is to help every rescue achieve and stay in prime condition for “furever home” adoption and The Supreme (aka “Soup”) is in prime condition…

with a few caveats… she’s dog reactive and door reactive which means she doesn’t like to share you with any other dog and she’s a touch nervous around doors. Oh, and she’s also very, very powerful.

The ideal human guardian companion would be someone with no other non-human companions in the homestead, no small humans who could be easily knocked over, and a guardian human able to hold on to her leash should she suddenly be eager to lunge forward to track down whatever catches her senses. Otherwise, she is a delight.

Here’s a poem shared on the Stray Rescue website from another admirer.

A note from her enrichment friend, Kathleen B.:

“S-trong: This can not be emphasized enough. She is one of the strongest dogs in terms of strength, willpower and heart.

U-niversally adored: Once you meet her, you have to love her, not because she’s super cuddly, but because she is uniquely Supreme and you can’t help but fall in love.

P-assionate: She goes for what she wants, be that a Jolly Ball, treat or trash on the street. She needs someone to continue working with her to know she will always have food and fun.

R-eady to go: You like adventure? This is your girl! You won’t wonder if she’s up for it, because she will be right by the door!

E-xercise: She is not a lazy couch kind of dog. She loves to take hikes and be on the go! If you lead an active lifestyle, Supreme is your gal!

M-emorable: Whether it’s her strength, love of toys or stunning looks you don’t forget your time with her.

E-nergetic: She can go for days, whether that’s a walk or playing with toys. She gives it her all and then some.

Other things to note:
-Prefers to be an only dog
-She doesn’t know her own strength so kids are probably not the best fit.
-If you are patient, willing to work with her and commit to her forever, she will be your best friend.”

Maybe, there’s a supreme dog in your nearby rescue shelter. If you’re a good personality match, you might find a BFF (best friend forever) for your life.

Jan 29 – “Quiet Your Mind from Time to Time”

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Meditation and poetry, meditators and poets, like two hands coming together in namaste.

One of the most famous poets of all time is Rumi (full name Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī). He wrote poetry in the 13th century in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Greek. His poetry was influenced by his Sufi meditation.

“Rumi was a scholar and poet that lived in 13th century Persia (now modern-day Iran.) Like all extraordinary gifted and profound teachers, Rumi’s words have transcended time and place.

An Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic, Rumi wrote much of his thoughts down in the form of poems … it’s well-known that Rumi was a mystic, devoted to contemplation and self-surrender … Rumi certainly practiced Mur?qabah, an Arabic word that translates to observation in English. Mur?qabah is a form of Sufi meditation where the goal is to “watch over” their spiritual heart and to gain insight into the Ultimate truth.

Nearly every form of meditation practiced, across religious and spiritual traditions, emphasizes quietude of mind. Individuals who are adept meditators are well-aware that mental silence can lead to profound insight, … Please quiet your mind from time to time!” https://www.powerofpositivity.com/rumi-quotes-transform-your-life/

Today’s senryu: Quiet Your Mind from Time to Time

The slower I go

the more I realize, life

is love in motion

Jan 25 – Three Prayers for Three More-Than-Human Companions

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“In the beginning, all creatures were hidden treasures – longing to be known, and brought into being. God then exhaled a sigh of compassion, and with that great sigh, the world was created.” Sufi parable, Blessing the Animals, Lynn L. Caruso, p.192

There’s something special about interspecies communication; something that transcends the superficial chatter between members of your own species. I’ve been fortunate to experience three friendships with three more-than-humans who are no longer alive, no longer in this physical realm that I still inhabit.

Below are belated goodbye prayers for each with gratitude to the higher power that brought us together.

Loving Creator, before Lexie, the cat, came to join our lives, you knew her, knew that she longed to be brought into this loving family. Thank you for making us relatives.

Oh, Compassionate One, with your breath you created Etta Pearl, the feisty canine, first came into being. We didn’t know Etta in her prime, but she shared much with us in her final months. Thank you for introducing us.

Eternal Life Force, you created Honey, the beautiful racehorse. Her snort and whinny, her sprints and quick stops were a joy for both of us. Thank you for letting us share her retirement years.

For all three, the opportunity to feed, clean up after, and stare deeply into each other’s eyes, was a treasure that still remains in my memory. I am grateful to have shared part of my life with a part of theirs.

“Benediction

Warm summer sun, shine kindly here;

Warm western wind, blow softly here;

Green sod above, lie light, lie light –

Good-night, dear heart, good-night, good-night.”

Robert Richardson’s “Annette,” adapted by Mark Twain

Blessing the Animals, Lynn L. Caruso, p.193

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/313559.Lynn_L_Caruso

Jan 22 – In Remembrance of Thich Nhat Hanh

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Our teacher, Thay’, Thich Nhat Hanh, died one year ago. Below are two links for more information on this fierce and gentle Zen Master.

I especially appreciate his poem displayed below which includes the phrase: “birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek”

May you experience his continued presence of peace and joy.

Thich Nhat Hanh

Contemplation on No-Coming and No-Going

by Thich Nhat Hanh

Read by Brother Phap Lai
This body is not me.
I am not limited by this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.

Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,
manifestations from my wondrous true mind.
Since before time, I have been free.

Birth and death are only doors through which we pass,
sacred thresholds on our journey.
Birth and death are a game of hide-and-seek.

So laugh with me,
hold my hand,
let us say good-bye,
say good-bye, to meet again soon.

We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.
Contemplation on No-Coming and No-Going
https://plumvillage.org/contemplation-on-no-coming-and-no-going/

Jan 18 – A Poet More People Should Remember – Edna St. Vincent Millay

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“Edna St. Vincent Millay (February 22, 1892 – October 19, 1950) was an American lyrical poet and playwright. Millay was a renowned social figure and noted feminist in New York City during the Roaring Twenties and beyond. She wrote much of her prose and hackwork verse under the pseudonym Nancy Boyd.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_St._Vincent_Millay

Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet (1923), feminist bisexual socialist, Vincent (as she called herself) was dismissed later in life for her use of traditional poetic forms.

She died after years of suffering and morphine use due to a car accident and finally falling down her stairs at home from a broken neck and the heart attack immediately preceding it.

One of her earlier poems seems fitting here: Dirge Without Music

I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground.

So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind:

Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely.  Crowned

With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned.

Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you.

Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust.

A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew,

A formula, a phrase remains,—but the best is lost.

The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love,—

They are gone.  They are gone to feed the roses.  Elegant and curled

Is the blossom.  Fragrant is the blossom.  I know.  But I do not approve.

More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world.

Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave

Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind;

Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave.

I know.  But I do not approve.  And I am not resigned.

Edna St. Vincent Millay, “Dirge Without Music” from Collected Poems © 1928, 1955 by Edna St. Vincent Millay and Norma Millay Ellis. Reprinted with permission of Elizabeth Barnett and Holly Peppe, Literary Executors, The Millay Society. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/52773/dirge-without-music

1.11.23 – The Art of Communicating

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Zen Master, Thich Nhat Hanh died last January, 1.22.22, yet his impact on the world continues. Below are a couple of quotes from his book The Art of Communicating for your consideration:

“Every human and every animal communicate. We typically think of communication as the words we use when we speak or write, but our body language, our facial expressions, our tone of voice, our physical actions, and even our thoughts are ways of communicating.

Every time we communicate, we either produce more compassion, love, and harmony or we produce more suffering and violence. Our communication is what we put out into the world and what remains after we have left it. In this way, our communication is our karma. The Sanskrit word karma means ‘action,’ and it refers not just to our bodily action but to what we express with our bodies, our words, and our thoughts and intentions.” The Art of Communicating, Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax Press (c) 2013, p.139

May our thoughts, words and actions contribute more compassion, love and harmony today.

http://www.parallax.org

Good News – Hidden in Childhood A Poetry Anthology

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Hidden in Childhood: A Poetry Anthology – Front Cover Reveal
https://literaryrevelations.com/2022/12/18/hidden-in-childhood-a-poetry-anthology-front-cover-reveal/#respond

Gabriela Marie Milton, an Amazon bestselling poet and an internationally published author, is publishing another anthology early next year. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gabriela-Marie-Milton/author

I’m also happy to report that two of my poems will be included.

CYE Countdown – Dec 2 – National Mutt Day

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What is a mutt? A dog of doubtful pedigree.

What is a pedigree? Recorded ancestry, especially upper-class ancestry, a pure-bred.

What is National Mutt Day? “A holiday that celebrates mixed breed dogs. It is also an unofficial holiday that proclaims that these dogs are as special as their pure-bred counterparts and should be afforded the same love, affection, and respect.

This day should also serve as a reminder that there are millions of mixed breed dogs in shelters all over the United States who are just waiting for a family to take them home and love them.” https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/national-mutt-day/

Why adopt a mutt versus a purebred? They’ve got the best temperaments.

Most purebreds were bred for specific traits, so they’re likely to have a more extreme personality. Mutts, on the other hand, have a blend of traits from different sources, which often leads to a more mellow mood. In fact, purebred dogs are more likely than mutts to have genetic disorders, including cataracts and hypothyroidism.” https://nationaltoday.com/national-mutt-day/

One more thought for consideration. My father would sometimes smile and with a twinkling eye say: “I’m Irish, English, Scottish and Dutch and a little bit German but not very much.”

Today’s senryu/dogryu: Adopt A Mutt

Now think about it –

what’s your ancestral record?

Mutts should adopt mutts 🙂