Posted tagged ‘Pearl’

Dogged – Friday Flash 55 – Pearl! -17

August 31, 2012

Dogged

My dog turned 17 yesterday.
Celebrated
by frolicking
down the hall until
she ran into a wall.
(She and I are much alike in that.)

Then, re-gathering paws, balance
dignity, and slightly, but
definitely, altering course,
she frolicked (more gently) on.

(Something, I say, rubbing
my own head’s
old sore spot,
I could learn from.)

*************************************

Pearl says that she didn’t really run into that wall–that she was just investigating it with her forehead.  (She’s quite blind now unfortunately, but amazingly, though usually carefully, intrepid.)  This is an older video of her, at about 15.   17 is older.

The above post is (believe it or not) 55 words!  So go tell it to the G-Man

Have a great weekend !

“This Old Dog” Friday Flash 55

July 27, 2012

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This Old Dog

Old dog, blinding,
(nose to ground)
still slowly leads our way.

Forget about new tricks — let us just
keep up our old–speak,
roll over,
(only) play dead, and
always, always,
heal.

And when we face some harsher
heel, let us not need
to beg for mercy, but
lie down softly,
good girl, good boy.

.

*********************************************

It’s Friday – hurrah!  And my dog, Pearl , is 17 going on 18!  (I think – my memory’s not so good these days.)

I post the above 55 word poem for the wonderful indefatigable G-Man.  Go tell him!  (Especially since I’m late!)

Blogger’s Quandary/Pearl Losing Enthusiasm

March 19, 2012

I used to be able to rely on Pearl writing for me.

She did a great job.

Though the transcribing was kind of a pain.

I woke up to a bloggers’ quandary today.

I actually started this blog primarily to popularize (and sell) my books!   (At the moment, there are three– comic novel, NOSE DIVE,  book of poetry, GOING ON SOMEWHERE, or children’s counting book 1 MISSISSIPPI. )

But pretty soon, blogging took on a life of its own–a life which has kind of crowded out not only the selling of books but the writing of them.

For a while I could rely on Pearl to write the books–but Pearl, like me, is getting old.  And blind.  And tired.  And her writing can be a real b—- to transcribe.

The problem is that it’s a bit lonely to write books and very very lonely to try to get people to read them.  While blogging is communal.  And being part of a community is fun.  And inspiring.

And yet, well, Pearl–that is, Pearl and I–really enjoy book writing, at least in principal.

So, what is to be done?

(Other than teaching Pearl to type. )

Hmmmm…..

Why Pearl Is Not At Westminster This Year

February 13, 2012

Pearl

Why Pearl is Not in Westminster This Year

Because when she was a puppy and was groomed
professionally, she would
sit on the couch for several days afterwards
the only part of her not trembling
a bright pink bow the groomer had
stuck on; and

because after that, when I began cutting
her hair myself–I can’t
call it grooming–she would end up–
with splotches of fur and
baldness, since, I confess,
I’ve been known
to wear mismatched
socks and to fix my own ‘do
by rubbing palms through it
like a balloon that you want
to stick to a wall or sweater; and also
perhaps,

because her breath
smells an awful
lot like dead fish these
days, though
after sixteen years
you tend to
be sort of glad for things like that–
breath–
especially in the warmth
of speckled, oddly-
furred, tummy.

(Check out a “Truest Love Poem” for Pearl, from Going on Somewhere, my collection of poetry.  Check it out too!  And NOSE DIVE!)

Unmeetable Deadline? Last Gasp.

February 3, 2012

Trying to work on new novel tonight!  Rather trying to work on completing the revisions of an old novel.  (Ho-hum.)

It is a new novel compared to the finished one (NOSE DIVE), which I urge urge urge you all to check out!

But it is an old novel in terms of feeling, at times, like a very long haul.

Finishing–i.e. truly finishing–a novel is a lot of work.  That is, getting all the “i” dots, t-crossings, plot twists, right–is a lot of work.  Cutting out a bunch of that work–extra verbiage, descriptions, scenes, dialogue, even whole characters–that weigh down the plot–is even more difficult.

This novel will not be truly finished in time for my deadline (which is sometimes towards the end of this weekend.)

Trying to meet this deadline has haunted my last few weeks, though, in truth, I’ve only really focused on it during certain late-nite, early-morning jam sessions.

Even so, the deadline sticks in the craw.  The problem is that I’m a “last gasp” sort of person, meaning that I usually don’t quite give up until absolute hopelessness sets in.

And this, unfortunately, means that it is likely to be a stressful weekend.  (Unless, I just decide on hopelessness right now.  Ah, there’s an idea!)

The novel, by the way, is called “An I For An Eye.”  It’s a young adult fantasy.  (Yes, I know.  Crazy!)

Not-So-Crystalline Couplets (with Pearl in Chandelier) !

December 29, 2011

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At dVerse Poets, Gay Reiser Cannon has posted a wonderful “form for all” article on different types of couplets.  I confess my preference is for the “heroic” (an iambic pentameter couplet, which feels most traditional to me).  But Gay is more wide-ranging, and brings up a new form called a “Crystalline:”  a modified haiku (17 syllables) compressed into two crisp lines. 

Ideally, it seems that the form requires a certain focus on visual imagery.  I couldn’t quite do the visuals, opting instead (as almost always) for the slightly silly.

I have re-posted the image above because it shows my dog Pearl  in a “crystalline” setting.  

Not-So-Crystalline Resolutions (for 2012)

 I could resolve to lose some weight,
(Though science implies that’s not my fate);

Or I could vow to work, work, work,
(Though the thought’s enough to make me shirk.)

I SHOULD be mindful of every act.
Ha-ha, hee hee…um…what was that?

No–if I’m honest, it appears
that this will be like all other years,

In which I’m me, myself and I,
no matter, no matter, how I try.

 

P.S. For the lightening of a heavy heart through a fun quick read, check out NOSE DIVE, by Karin Gustafson, illustrated by Jonathan Segal.

Work Product of Heavy Procrastinator (Long form Tic Tac Toe?) (Animation)

December 14, 2011

I post the above to show what a really determined procrastinator (with an iPad 2) can get up to.

Also to clarify that I really am not much of a perfectionist.

The above is not one of my better animations.  I did the whole thing, as they say, a– backwards.  Meaning that I didn’t consider what I was doing at the beginning and had to go back and fill in frames without the help of the “ghost” images of my animation app.  This method doesn’t work well and yet managed to take up an inordinate amount of time, much of which was to be spent cleaning my apartment to make room for guests and tree.

Oh well, I still have room in the closets.  (For the clutter, not the tree. Or guests. Sheesh.)

(P.S. if you like silliness, check out NOSE DIVE, novel by Karin Gustafson and Jonathan Segal, for a higher level of it.)

Not a Happy Trickster

October 31, 2011

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On the Political Side – Doing Something To Nudge Do-Nothings

October 12, 2011

Pearl's Wants To Help With All the Emails

As followers of this blog know, I’ve been writing a lot about poetry lately. (Even really morbid poetry is a lot easier to stomach than current politics.) But it’s pretty hard to pass up commenting on the congressional Republicans’ recent  squelching of all debate on President Obama’s Jobs Act.

It’s ridiculous. The nixing of even debate suggests that congressional Republicans are out for the political jugular without regard to the fact that it IS, in fact, attached to the body politic.

Is governing all about election?  The old tack was to characterize Obama as a rammer of legislation down the country’s throat;  now they are ascribing their own implacable obstructionism to Obama’s lack of leadership.  (Amazingly, the characterization of Obama veers between Attila the Hun and Professor Milquetoast).   (I admit that Obama could be a more active leader, but their conduct makes it seem that it would hardly make a difference.)

So here is what I, a lowly non-pol who really doesn’t feel like sitting in Zucotti Park, thought I might do:  write!   To as many congressmen and senators as I can bear, even those outside my district.  I know that it’s unlikely to do any good.  When John Boehner sees, for example, that I am not from Ohio, he will probably not take my email very seriously. Still, writing it makes ME feel better.

P.S. I’m going for  polite measured little notes.  I realize it might help if I included a picture of Pearl, above–at least that might get passed around the Congressional office.  But so far, I’ve kept Pearl above the fray, except as proofreader.

Pearl! Old Dog Comes Home!

September 15, 2011

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My very old dog is back home tonight in the City. She has been in the country for several months for a bunch of reasons, but mainly to escape the heat.

She has a very nice life in the country–grass, dirt, trees, more grass, plenty of affection.

But she was raised in the City and home is home. Not just where the heart is, but where the memories of the heart are.

Also a lot of interesting smells.