“If they’re so holy,
where are their books?” *
She said
biting and frustrated
after too much coffee
Wrestling with the perfect sentence on an empty stomach
I say, dogs don’t have books because
They don’t need time and space
To separate them from experience
To manipulate their emotions
Feed their addictions
We’re caught up in yesterday
or a string of tomorrows –
Avoiding our psychology
sublimating our desires
curbing our impulses
“Moralistic” animals
Live, sleep, feel, act
Without the labyrinthine intellect
the tangled threads of suffering.
In the here and now
They have little call for nostalgic recollection
But to live life anew
Each morning is cause for celebration
Each breath a blessing
Only we have fallen
Requiring crutches to walk in this world
Now she says, “we shouldn’t feed
moralistic poets!”
Never fear, we cannot earn our bread.
* From The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
http://jinglepoetry.blogspot.com/2011/07/poetry-potluck-week-43-life-in-free.html
In addition to the humor and irony of this work what strikes me is the idea of how our intellect and self proclaimed superiority over the world and other animals (dogs for example) perhaps gets in our way of seeing what is truly important and meaningful in life. Also it strikes a chord with me about how we use the trappings of our world to prevent direct communication and interactions with the world around and within us. Happily we have furry companions and artists to remind us of this, and hopefully one day we can learn to actually be moral beings.
Lovely and sagacious comments; I’m glad this piece struck you.
Awesome dialoge.
Love the humour – this made me smile
Thanks, too often I am serious in my work and forget that poetry can be effective and humorous.
I love this and agree that we should begin anew each day. Great writing!
I like the end. But it’s all much more fun than you suggest I think? The moralism helps add spice.
True. Thank you for reading and commenting.
lovely, funny and thought provoking- 🙂 haikudoyou
I found this to be extremely thought provoking and fully realize that simplicity is the essence of happiness. I find great joy in the presence of my canine companion. Thank you so much for a wonderfully written expression.
Thank you for your feedback. I’m glad to hear you’ve located the essence of happiness! I posted this in honor of my Australian Shepherd who recently died of heart disease. He brought so much joy into our lives. I think if he’d written poetry it would have gone something like this:
Yay, it’s Monday and I’m alive!
Let’s play!
Ooooh breakfast!
I love you!
Is that my ball?!?
Let’s see what’s in the yard!
Yay, I’m alive!
(you get the picture)
Interesting conversation–love the last line. Wish I had read the book so I could know a bit more of the context.
Nice piece 🙂 liked the conversation style back and forth. Got a soul to this poem.
A Poetic World – My Potluck Post
This is absolutely wonderful. Once of the finer poems for this round of Potluck. “Never fear. We cannot earn our bread.” Ahhhh ….
Bravo! Poem on … Happy Potluck!
Thank you for your feedback. Happy Potluck to you too!
Thanks for sharing lovely verse… and enjoyed it so much…
Thanks for joining in the poetry potluck this week, which I hosted for the first time this week….
Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2011/07/whispers-cuckoos-song-and-smell-of-love.html
At Twitter @VerseEveryDay
*deep sigh* I wish I was a dog and had a much simpler life after reading this! Really enjoyed it and add my ‘bravo’ to that of other commenters.
Thank you for your encouragement. We take great pride in our happy dogs. In fact, our friends say that if they are reincarnated they want to come back as our dogs.