For Writers Island Prompt #4 2010
Imaginary Friend
A MAN NEEDS A DOG
At feeding time he paces
From kitchen to living room
From living room to kitchen
From kitchen to living room
He thinks I can’t tell the time
He thinks I don’t care for him
So he paces edgily
Wants all he can eat and more
In return for sustenance
No sticks are fetched, no balls chased
Newspapers and post ignored
For nights out – baby sitters…!
House training lessons – unlearned
Shout ‘Here Boy!’ – Does he mean me?
He could sleep for his country
Whichever one that might be
When I can do without it
That’s the time he’s most alert
The smell of dinner cooking
He can’t get enough of me
Following me around the place
Getting right under my feet
In kitchen heat, I can’t stand
Not enough chefs; still broth spoilt
Sure, he’s a son of a bitch
In more ways than just the one
But I would never swap him
Because he is my best friend
Reprimand hesitated
That thing – with his eyes again
Back end raised, fore legs stretched
Tongue protruding Pavlovesque
Innocence in those eyes
Those eyes soften hardened hearts
Those eyes that stare into mine
As if he’s adoring me
Animals! Gotta love'em! They demand love and attention! And doesn't it feel grand to know that they love you back unconditionally! Great little poem!
ReplyDeleteHeartfelt; familiar feelings came to me in memory of past furry best friends.
ReplyDeleteThanks to:
ReplyDeleteGT; You only get back what you give.
ViV; This is a composite of a few of mine.
A great tribute to a dog.
ReplyDeleteI like that. For all we know of our best friend, there are mystery and distance between us.
ReplyDeleteThis will resonate with anyone who's ever loved a dog.
ReplyDeletehttp://thelaughinghousewife.wordpress.com
I love this...our "imaginary" friends, the daggone dogs, have filled many years of our lives.
ReplyDeleteb
http://torristravels.blogspot.com
Loved the direction you took this, Stan! One of my fav bumper stickers:
ReplyDelete"Lord, help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."
Thanks to:
ReplyDeleteAnthony; You either love them or... like them a lot.
The Laughing Housewife; I think that covers most people.
B; They help us smile through a crisis.
Marianne; That would be some miracle.
*melts* Man's best friend..
ReplyDeleteThanks Irene; They never let you down.
ReplyDeleteAawwww
ReplyDeletethat posture description is right on the mark. Cat girls have another way of expressing their adoration--landing on late sleepers with the force of catapulted boulders
'At feeding time he paces
ReplyDeleteFrom kitchen to living room
From living room to kitchen
From kitchen to living room
He thinks I can’t tell the time
He thinks I don’t care for him
So he paces edgily'
Love that! My dog gives us the stare-down, rather than pacing. But she's on the same clock as your dog, obviously.
Thanks to:
ReplyDeleteBriarcat; Cats can be very cynical.
Julia; It's our own fault for training them so hard.
Salute!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ron; Man's best friend.
ReplyDeleteriends indeed Stan....thanks for this
ReplyDeleteThanks Wayne; One man and his dog...
ReplyDelete