Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Headlines as Poem Starters

Today I read of a woman who threw a puppy over a balcony. The pup is now being cared for by a vet clinic and looks like it will be OK.

I am an avid dog lover, and I'm concerned that someone would do such a terrible thing. Puppies need the love and help of caring owners, and certainly never deserve to be so badly treated. I don't know too much more about this case of animal abuse though, because as well as being a dog lover, I'm also a poet.

As soon as I began reading about this matter, my poet sense kicked in, and I knew I had to write a poem about this poor pup. Sometimes things happen in my life that demand to be written about. I've written the pup's poem now, edited it slightly, and I'll post it here.

I'm sure this isn't one of my best ever poems, but it comes from my heart, and I enjoyed getting the words down. As I was writing the poem, I thought about the issues that woman may be having in her life that lead to the terrible act.

I hope the puppy survives and goes on to live a good life. I also hope the woman finds peace in her own life. Compassion is a thing that isn't 'either this one or that one'. I feel compassion for all involved in this story - the pup, the woman, those saving the pup, the police, the thousands of people who've read about it all.

We can all play our part in making this world a compassionate place for puppies to live.


What went wrong?

The puppy demands, you feel your hands
itching to shut it up.
The dog so young, but its tune is sung
and balcony calls for the pup.

Beyond the ledge and over the edge
that separates good from bad.
Why it was done, is known to none -
the woman must be mad.

At eight months old, pup’s tale is told
across the online world.
But we read of the deed and wonder indeed –
why was the puppy hurled?

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