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Yippee! In honor of Poetry Month, Easter, and all things rabbity,
my free-verse picture book, To Rabbittown is now only 99 cents
on iTunes, Kindle, Nook--yippee! (Picture me jumping up and
down like an over-caffeinated kangaroo…)
Download the free Kindle for PC  if you don’t have an eReader.

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And here are links to Poetry Month
in the Kidlitosphere–thanks, Jama!









Eli found Squirrel at the dog park.
Eli loves Squirrel.
Squirrel no longer squeaks. 
Eli removed Squirrel’s squeaker.
He couldn’t help himself.

Howdy, Campers and welcome to my 2012 Poem-A-Day Challenge!  Wowee–I can’t believe it’s here again!  This means I’ve been writing a poem a day since I took the challenge in April 2010.  Two. Whole. Years.  Over six hundred poems.

Ask any writer and I’ll bet 98% of us wonder if we deep-down really ARE writers.  Writing a poem a day has given me an amazing gift–I no longer doubt that I’m a writer.

This month, all the poems will be DOG POEMS, because the dog park is my new addiction.  So, let’s get on with the dog show–arf, arf!

 

April 12

DOGS DON'T GO TO FUNERALS


DOGS DON’T GO TO FUNERALS
by April Halprin Wayland

Dogs don’t go to funerals.
They follow behind ghosts,
sniff empty slippers,
tilt their head in question,
pause to gnaw fleas
between the toes of a paw.

They note how quiet it is—
no steps creaking across wood floor,
no smack of closed front door
no rustling in the kitchen
putting soup, cinnamon
and kibble on shelves.

Dogs seek out
the round, red rug of the den,
turn around three times,
rest their head
on their paws,
sigh.

Poetry Prompt:

Sometimes the most effective way to show sadness or that someone is missed is to come at it sideways.  Maybe no one parks in that parking space anymore.  Or the cheese grows mold because the missing person was the cheese eater. I liked playing with the sound of words in this one.  And for some reason, I always love words that have an “s” sound at the beginning, middle or end.

It’s your turn. Who do you miss?  What is different because that person has moved or died or is no longer in your life?  Consider using words that sound like the the mood you want to create.  Splash around a little…draw outside the lines!

poem © 2012 April Halprin Wayland. All rights reserved

One Response to “DOGS DON’T GO TO FUNERALS”

  1. Oh, I love this… Once my posting settles down this month, I look forward to coming back and reading all of your dog poems. I’m sending my mom-the-dog-lover on over too! Woof! a.

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