A Poem for Ariel

Fish are a fairly
private species,
so they work great
as a blank canvass.

Needing to come up
with an explanation
that absolves Boo
of the suspicion
that she frequently
drinks from his tank,
I like to say that
Ariel is a suicidal
jumping fish, or
perhaps a piranha,
generally the reason
the top of the tank
becomes eschewed
or water loitering
around it.

Ariel wants to leap
out, but Boo's there
to knock him back in.

Ariel attacks Boo,
and Boo knocks him back in.

Regardless, fish are our friends,
not food. I like to
consider myself his sponsor.

And make funny faces
back at him.

A Poem for Boo!

In many ways,
Boo was the perfect
transition from Freckles.

Prior to moving from
home, and thus the
final time I would
see Freckles alive,
my sister had arranged
for Boo to live
at my parents' house
while she completed
her tour of Texas.

During those weeks,
I found myself
amazed at how easily
I found myself grow
attached to this cat.

Of course, it was
also hilarious
watching Boo and
Freckles interact -
cats & dogs, y'know.

So by the time
we were all in Massachusetts,
I was primed to infuse
Boo with all the imaginative
powers I had once reserved
for Freckles, the pet phrases
and affection.

Being a cat, she
took it all
in stride.

I won't go into
everything tat
has developed
since, because
it is all
just so much,
but suffice
to say:

Boo's fur
is taking
over the
same role
Freckles
assumed:

an omnipresence
that can
never
go away.

She's not your
typical cat,
and I know
that's what
people say
about their pets,
but Boo really
is
one of a kind.

Perhaps one day
I will index how,
but for now,
all to say
is

Boo!

A Poem for Jill

Jill may be a beagle,
but she's not Snoopy,
doesn't even like to
lie on top of dog houses.

She's my sister's dog,
a few months shy of Jack
but a constant sparring
partner and leading
contender for ownership
for any toy they want
to play with, a big dog
trapped in a small dog's body.

Her eyes will convince
anyone she's adorable
and will get her out
of any trouble (until,
maybe, you begin to
catch on, but it'll
still work anyway).

If Jack's a Charlie in the Box,
then Jill is the one everyone
wants, says they'll kidnap
(not jokingly, if they
really could get away with it),
and will let leap and lick
all over them, because
her tongue is lethal,
and nobody minds. But,
truth be told, she's
really worse than Jack,
and if she weren't so cute,
everyone would notice.

But they still wouldn't care,
because Jill is cute and
that's all there is to say
about that. Oh, and as far
as Boo is concerned, Jill
thinks she's got just another
tumbling partner, no matter
what Boo thinks (when Jack's
away, she'll really get carried
away with that thought),
so as much as Boo doesn't
tolerate Jack, she has to
at least pretend to put up
with Jill - yeah, just
another example of the Jill effect.

She really has gotten better
since the training, but she's
still playing catch-up with Jack,
no matter how it looks.

But darn it, she's cute!

She also sheds. Like a dog.

A Poem for Jack

Technically,
the most accurate
you can be about him
is that Jack is a
German shorthaired pointer.

He's also a Charlie in the box
and older brother to Jill,
and nemesis of Boo.

He's Dwayne's dog
and the second pet
in my sister's house,
a goofy presence
and somewhat awkward
before he got some
formal training.

He tolerates Jill's
foolishness and Boo's
attacks, because that's
what a big brother does,
but joins in whenever he can.

He's a gentle presence,
loves to curl up, loves
to eat (but then, what
dog doesn't?), stand up
and brace those paws
where they'll go.

(He was worse about that
before the training,
and that's (hopefully)
why he became known
as a Charlie in the Box
to the Jill everyone
wanted to kidnap.)

He may not be everyone's
favorite, but I cherish
him all the more, because
I get to enjoy what
no one else sees, a gentle
giant and a good companion,
just someone who's more
eager than they could be,
a small dog trapped in
a big dog's body,
who'll growl and protect,
but otherwise remain calm.

Oh, and he tugs on
every walk! But that
just means he's fun
to run with!

Jack makes me wish
there weren't so many phrases
badly construed against
his name, not the least
of which being Dwayne's own
"jacked up." I don't
like using those anymore.

Jack deserves better!

But he's still a big oaf.