“Here, Body” (Your Body Is Not Even Your Good Lab)
Here, Body
The body is not your good dog.
It may sit, lie down, roll over,
but there’s a limit to its Rover
aspect. No spank
will keep it from
accident; no leash
train it to the right; no yank
make it heel
feelings.
You tell it what to want, but
it will vaunt
its fleshly, furry ways,
sneaking food when already fed;
taking up all the room on the bed;
whiffing what should not be sniffed;
its passion aimed at but a toy–
here, girl; here, boy–
that can never love it back.
It will decay
though you say stay. Still,
you will love it,
this not-good dog;
for even as you scold and cajole,
call,
and despair
of calling,
you will find yourself
cradling it;
you will find yourself
in its arms.
This is an older poem I am reposting for MagPie Tales, a writing blog hosted by Tess Kincaid. Tess posts a picture prompt each week; Tess’s prompt, an image by Zelko Nedic. I am also posting for Open Link Night of Imaginary Garden With Real Toads, a great poetry blog. My rather silly picture, prompted by Leonardo, is above.
*******************************************
*********************************************
If you have time on this rainy Sunday, check out my books. Nose Dive is only 99 cents on Kindle – well, with ten times that much, which is its price in paper!
Children’s counting book 1 Mississippi -for lovers of rivers, light and pachyderms. Or, if you in the mood for something older, check out Going on Somewhere, poetry, or Nose Dive, a very fun novel for those who are somewhat discontent with their appearance but love musicals, cheese and downtown NYC.
Explore posts in the same categories: dog, iPad art, poetry, UncategorizedTags: "The Body is not your good dog, drawing of Leonardo dog/man, http://withrealtoads.blogspot.com, iPad art, Magpie Tales, manicddaily, ManicDDaily poetry, poem about the unreliable body
You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.
ManicDDaily 
July 29, 2012 at 9:53 am
i love this, K. I’ve been in the woods for a few days and am behind on all reading. this is a pleasant way to dive back in. Here, Body speaks right to my heart, which is appropriate as it is in my body, right? …. this poem has so much voice and presence and is a brilliant start my day of reading.
July 29, 2012 at 10:16 am
Thanks so much. k.
July 29, 2012 at 6:39 pm
How clever! Bad dog, bad dog! Who let the dogs out? 🙂
July 29, 2012 at 10:12 am
I love it K ~ I don’t have pets but I can relate to the soul as distinct and yielding for freedom from the body ~
July 29, 2012 at 10:51 am
I enjoyed the poem and the drawing. If you are in the States maybe you are glad of the rain ? Hope so. It’s hot as hell here (south east Spain) I’ve been the the pool 4 times today already.
July 29, 2012 at 11:20 am
“Here, Body” sure does give the picture of the moving lump of loving you call a pet. At first I thought it was extended metaphor, for the hard to control self, but I gave that up 4 lines in. I love your drawing!
July 29, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Well, it kind of is an extended metaphor, but it does get out of control! k.
July 29, 2012 at 11:25 am
Absolutely love this take on the Magpie!! Clever you…
July 29, 2012 at 11:26 am
really great turn on this k…the body will be as good as we take care of it…but then even then it will start to decay or deteriorate….can def relate to this one…smiles…
July 29, 2012 at 11:27 am
Excellent take!
July 29, 2012 at 12:04 pm
You are sooooo right. LOL I love my little 10 pound Yorkie to bits! 🙂 And, they do try to rule the roost, don’t they…even 10 pounders.
Lovely capture of the prompt!
July 29, 2012 at 12:14 pm
I like your extended metaphor and playful imagery, which works on more than one level. This I think is my favourite bit…
“It may sit, lie down, roll over,
but there’s a limit to its Rover
aspect.”
… because of the wordplay and line breaks.
My body never does what it’s told! 😉
July 29, 2012 at 2:16 pm
I enjoyed the fun of instructing one’s body as a person would instruct their dog. This is brilliantly composed and cause for a reflective grimace, since the body (nor the dog in my experience) will comply. Thank you for sharing, K. =D
July 29, 2012 at 8:02 pm
Linda – send me your URL and i’d be happy to visit your blog! k.
July 29, 2012 at 4:10 pm
Dogs are easier to whip (not literally) into shape and submission than bodies. For sure.
July 29, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Yes, the body is just not anything like as obedient as a good dog, as I’ve noticed the last two weeks. But the poem is good enough for me. I especially like the last stanza, where mind and body have to learn to love each other, or things would be bleak indeed.
July 29, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Well,so great that you are feeling better. So sorry about the pain of the last two weeks. k.
July 30, 2012 at 3:39 am
Love it! It has made me view myself differently…
Anna :o]
July 30, 2012 at 4:18 am
However it acts or reacts a dog is always lovable. Relatively easy to train and faithful to the core. Rightly said K!
Hank
July 30, 2012 at 6:02 am
Indeed, you will find yourself. This really has it all in terms of response to stimulus. Love it very much, so much delicacy and subtlety.
July 30, 2012 at 6:11 am
This is so true!
July 30, 2012 at 9:20 am
I take my hat off to you for this one…
July 30, 2012 at 10:48 am
Oh my this is clever….nicely done.
July 30, 2012 at 11:30 am
Thanks, Karen! Please send me your URL! And I’d go to your blog. k.
July 30, 2012 at 11:56 am
Excellent comparison here…wonderful.
July 30, 2012 at 1:13 pm
this was a joy to read–for the playful metaphor and the acceptance and love it engenders. so very refresshing!
July 30, 2012 at 1:59 pm
heh heh heh………..love it!
July 30, 2012 at 2:00 pm
So very clever!
July 30, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Certainly not my good dog…fun artwork too K…
July 30, 2012 at 3:17 pm
This is hilarious and SO creative. These are my favorites (especially the line breaks):
“aspect. No spank
will keep it from
accident; no leash
train it to the right; no yank”
“its passion aimed at but a toy–
here, girl; here, boy–
that can never love it back”
“you will find yourself
cradling it;
you will find yourself
in its arms.”
And in that last bit … we of course have no choice but to be in our own arms. But especially in the final years, months, days … we will cradle ourselves unto death.
July 30, 2012 at 3:48 pm
Thanks so much, Your detailed comments are always amazing to me. Hope all is well. K.
July 31, 2012 at 10:58 am
Oh my, yes! The biological, temporal body has no choice but to age, die, decay, regardless of our dedication to youth.
July 31, 2012 at 1:41 pm
I love it, K! – just an awesome write, the metaphor perfect… love the shape, the unexpected (or not quite expected) rhymes, everything…
August 1, 2012 at 8:10 pm
cleverly written… love it!
JJRod’z
August 3, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Your Mag is so incredibly clever from title through last word!!! Image as well, of course.
August 4, 2012 at 1:38 pm
This is so much fun!
August 23, 2012 at 11:11 am
This poem really speaks to me.
September 12, 2012 at 7:41 am
Reblogged this on Allison Rungtassanakul Blog.