Thursday, October 23, 2014

THE DOG PARK






One young woman has a service dog
who helps calm her when she
gets so anxious she strikes out at the world
that misunderstands her mind.

Another poor woman had three dogs.  
She is now living 
with a generous friend
after being evicted
because her daughter's boyfriend
gave her a fourth dog.  
She could not reject it.

The sad woman has a thirteen year old
big dog who is dying. 
She's already made arrangements
while she also prepares to retire,
which she fears like death.

The jovial man allows no negative
conversation.  He talks only of happiness
for his life, his divorce and his little
canine companion.

There's the man who brings ice for the dogs.
He is close to the former West Point graduate.
She has PTSD and the cutest little pup. 

The well groomed poodle with blue paws and bangs
is companion to the lady who lives part-time in Hawaii.
One woman, the one with two basset hounds, recently had a stroke, 
the one with the  four poodles; her husband has Cancer...

I love going to the park.
Sharing our life stories, 
crying
and laughing
at the dogs, ourselves too,
experiencing how animals 
humanize, teach us,
about acceptance, non-judgment,
co-existence in community
and the simplicity of fun.



 (For Dverse Poets.) 
















18 comments:

  1. That's the beauty of dogs Myrna, their acceptance of us no matter what. I love how you used the dog park as a basis for exploring lists. Well done.

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  2. smiles...i love people in general and rubbing our stories together...letting our lives mingle....the dog park would def be a good place to meet what with our four legged friends mingling as well...

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  3. Dogs act how we would like to be able to act...free and happy for the smallest things ..nice, Myrna.

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  4. I enjoyed this poem about the dogs and the people who love them, Myrna. I do think that dogs are openers of conversations, and many times they are also instrumental in causing conversations to deepen.

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  5. I can imagine the laughter, joy and camaraderie in the dog park ~ Each one its own unique character & story ~ Nice sketch of that dog park Myrna ~

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  6. Oh wow, I am already worrying about the sad woman whose big dog is elderly - she is going to grow sadder yet. It is intriguing, all of the stories whenever a small group gathers......each person has the most incredible story to tell. Loved this, Myrna.

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  7. Dogs seem to connect humans.. How the conversation goes and the way one can forget about the sadness for a while..

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  8. What really sparkles here is that you've listed specific breeds of dog, rather than being generic - and the way each dog is carefully matched to its human ... smiles.

    Nice work.

    T.

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  9. oh wow.... that is the nice thing if you have a dog - you always meet lots of people and it's easy to start a conversation with the dog as a common denominator - and then from there i can imagine how you get to know them pretty good after a while - very cool..

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  10. I agree, animals are ministers to us, and they are our teachers....they are as we should be....they make us look so unkind. I hope one day we will learn what they have to teach. I saw they even know how to handle grief.

    A blue jay hit my window in the studio the other day. The sound so loud. I went to the window to see. His companions, jumped on the back of the lawn furniture, and seemed to scream down to him. Get up, get up! Then they flew down close and seemed to whisper to him. I frightened them, when I went for a towel to rest the wounded bird on.. The bird got a little better, and at last hobbled down the walk and out the gate. I have watched for him... his companions have returned to eat the seeds, but I haven't seen him. Perhaps he was eaten by a coyote, at least nothing is wasted.

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  11. "acceptance, non-judgment, / co-existence" gift of these divine virtues from our furry friends does enrich us and makes us complete as human beings...a lovely poem Myrna...

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  12. Love this list of dogs-helpers, friends, healers and just companions...Haven't they were created to be loved? And they teach us the skills of kindness and compassion which they learned from...us, humans! xx

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  13. Turning dog ownership into a social event is a good combination. :)

    Also, I'm going to go pet my dog Boomer now.

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  14. this is so sad. i wrote a dog poem too!!!


    hurricane and jordan

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  15. Haven't had a pooch for 5 years now, we are a one tomcat family; kids all grown, grandkids growing fast; but putting down my last dog was harder than my first two divorces.

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  16. Putting down the last dog we had 5 years ago was harder than divorcing my first two wives; down to one cat now.

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  17. Nothing like watching the dogs play among themselves.

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  18. An aspect of life I had not given thought to, not being a dig owner. Sounds nice!

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