ManicDDaily

Charlotte On My Mind

I miss her.

The legs, sure–
(what a pair, what a pair, what
a pair, what a
pair–)

The spelling–tops–
(not everyone knows when to stop
putting r’s
in “terrific.”)

Of course, the web had
its icky side–
but there’s those out there who can’t abide
a trough–will scoff
at a rim of pancake,
act way too thin
for a tin’s skin of milk (even sweetened, even
condensed),
anything of that ilk–

(Oh, she would have liked, sniff, “ilk”–)

She killed flies,
KILLED
flies, and would have definitely
hurt a flea–

But she saved
me–

And that, I realize, is what life
is all about,
at least, if you’re (snort) living–

having someone in your corner–
in my case, of the barn door–
who listens kindly to your grunts upon the floor,
who wants every whisker on your pork
to wave in the fork
(non-fork)
of tomorrow, I mean, today–
this very morning–
when the moon gleams still
in the great blue hill
of the way beyond me,
just like the memory
of her round grey (whiff)
(blort) orb–

A friend of more than sorts–
that’s a friend who
when you’re immured
in fresh manure, reminds you
of the ineffable being
of being–that even
weeweeing all the way home
is a worthy roam; 

who makes you feel
like you’re “some pig”–
no matter how old, fat, unexciting–
because that’s what she once called you
in writing–

Because there’s something about words
written down
even when they’re written up,
that you hold onto
in your heart
long after the dew’s departed,
even when the paper/ink/web/ silk–
all that ilk–
has frayed to wisps, can only
whisper–
(she, sniff, would
have liked
that–)

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An overly long poem belatedly for Kerry O’ Connor’s prompt on With Real Toads to write a poem in the voice of an animal.  This one from Wilbur the pig, of Charlotte’s Web, by E.B. White.

I have to confess to having aborted other attempts at this prompt especially in the face of some of the wonderfully clever poems others have posted and that I’ve read so far–Kerry O’Connor’s wonderful “Dylan Thomas’s Dog’s Request” and Hedgewitch’s Nevermaiouw.  (Check them out–I’m sure others on Real Toads are also great–I’ve not yet had a chance to check them out !)

And I am so very sorry to be late in returning comments.  This has been an unusually busy week. But I will (eventually) get back to people.  Thanks much for your patience.  And if you are truly patient–prove it by checking out my new book, Nice, or any of my old books!

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