The Last Time and Lament for Louie

Today Louie failed to make the jump up to the window seat.

 
The top picture is Louie full grown.  The bottom picture is Charley at 8 months in February 2015  

These two poems were written five months apart and mark two points of grief in our losing of a dearly loved pet and family member.  We had Louie with us a dozen years.  He had no other agenda than to be with us.  He was a joy to the eye and the heart.  

We waited a year to get Charley, a black standard Poodle.  Charley is different, lovable and a sweet reminder of the pleasures Louie brought us.
 

The Last Time                                             #562 February 2013

Today Louie failed to make the jump

up to the window seat. He flopped ungainly                            

to the floor and did not try once more. 

I would not see him on that perch again.   

It must have been embarrassing to him

for me to see the waning of his strength.

I notice now and then he stands there looking up

remembering the sun’s warmth, the view

of birds and squirrels.  He does not seem to hear

as well nor bark at strangers any more. 

I dread his further losses, weighing when

it’s time somewhere along his sad decline.

I watch it all and deeply feel my sighs.

and know that every living creature dies.

Lament for Louie                                                            #568 July 7, 2013

Louie died last night.  His presence shouts  

in the quiet house. We breakfast on the deck

where even the air is still, the wind chimes silent.           

The meadow, where he ran free, seems empty, forlorn.

A flock of turkeys, five hens, single file, 

with a train of chicks, slowly cross the field,

a funeral procession celebrating

the cycle of life.   Our tears lament this truth.

We will spread his ashes in the meadow

where his spirit can continue that

fluid canter and rhythmic trot forever,

doubling back to check a smell, alive,

always in the moment, looking to see

if we were still in the vicinity.

 

Alaska Life

This is a link to an article our daughter, Eve, wrote for the Great Land Trust.  It has pictures of our granddaughter, Neve, and some interesting lore about AK.  Please enjoy the photos, Eve's blog post and the ambiance of this family.

http://www.greatlandtrust.org/the-case-of-the-mystery-mussels-backcountry-ice-skating-and-a-sense-of-wonder/ 

Blog December 4, 2014

One of my former college roommates, Bill Massy, just visited the blog and left a comment on "Halloween Owl".  

I'm busy writing poems for the Maine Poetry Society winter contests.  The poem for the subject contest must be about family.  The poem in the form contest must use ottava rima, any subject.  It will be my first ottava rima and I'm finding it difficult to rhyme 8 iambic pentameter lines ABABABCC.  Both Byron ("Don Juan" and Keats "Sailing to Byzantium") were experts at the form. 

Some new poems to follow soon.

Blog November 6, 2014

Over the weekend October 31-November 2 I attended a poetry retreat in Huntington, VT, sponsored by Sun Dog Poetry.  There were 10 students and 2 leaders.  We read and critiqued each others' work.  It was a rare opportunity to concentrate on nothing but poetry for 3 days, get feedback on your own work and read the interesting and exciting work others are doing.  

I shared "Saying Goodbye" and "Choice" with the group and posted the latter on the blog.  "Saying Goodbye" is still in revision.  I'll put it up later.

One outcome of the retreat is that some of the participants are forming a round robin poetry critique group where you send poems around the  group for assessment and feedback.

Validation of one's work through contests, retreats, meeting with other poets either in person on by round robin email, is important to keep track if one is making any kind of sense or progress.      

Blog October 29, 2014

The blog is now officially open which means that all those who have been invited to participate should be able to open the site and read the entries.   Please take advantage of the opportunity to make a comment.  I understand some have had their "passwords" expire.  We can issue new ones if you let us know you are having a problem.    

It's been a good couple of weeks

It's been a good couple of weeks for recognition of my poetry. October 23, 2014.  

It's been a good couple of weeks for recognition of my poetry.  On September 20th the Maine Poetry Society (MPS) awarded "The Perfect Wall" first prize in it's contest where the poem was about a wall(s).  "Diner Blues" received first honorable  mention in MPS contest to write a ballad .  

On October 18th "Yellow Goat's Beard" won the 2nd place from the Mary Margaret Audette memorial award conducted by the Poetry Society of Vermont (PSOV).  In addition, "Forest Meditation" was received a tie vote of the membership for 3rd at it's fall meeting.  

I continue to be heartened by the reception of my poetry by MPS, PSOV, friends and family.  Contests help me check that my poetry is technically competent and that it connects emotionally with anyone beside myself.       

First blog entry

This is my first post on my new blog,

September 25, 2014.   

 an entirely new experience for me.  My bio explains why I am starting a blog.  Over the weekend of September 20^th I attended the semi-annual meeting of the Maine Poets’ Society (MPS) where I entered two contests and received a prize in each one.

One contest was about a subject (Fences) with no restriction on form.  The other was a ballad contest with no restriction on subject.  “The Perfect Fence” won first prize and “Diner Blues” won first honorable mention.  I have included them in the next two blog entries. 

You are welcome but not obligated to comment on the blog or its entries.  I welcome your participation in my Reflections expressed in poetry, photographs and comments.