Mary Oliver’s a famous poet, and she just came out with a book called Dog Songs. Here’s what she has to say about
dogs, in general: “They are a kind of poetry themselves when they are devoted not only to us but to the wet night, to the moon and the rabbit-smell in the grass and their own bodies leaping forward.” Cool. I suppose the idea of this woman writing a collection of poems about dogs really grabbed me because her dog, a Havanese, is named — Ricky!!! Just like me! Listen to what this nice old lady — she’s 78 — writes about her Ricky in “Little Dog’s Rhapsody In The Night”: He puts his cheek against mine / and makes small, expressive sounds. / And when I’m awake, or awake enough / he turns upside down, his four paws / in the air / and his eyes dark and fervent. Nice. Really nice. Compare this to what Beagle Man wrote about me in a post last March: He’s stubborn. He’s
food-obsessed. He’s untrainable. He’s scent-driven. He has a one-track mind, and does what he wants when he wants it. Not quite as nice, is it? You know what I think? I think, from time to time, the B-Man should try seeing me in a softer, more poetic light. I once read the first few lines of a poem he wrote in third grade: I saw a turtle in a pond / Who didn’t look very happy. / I asked him what the matter was, / He said, “I lost my pappy. So clearly, he has it in him.
The Roof Rack Report (#roofrackreport on Twitter, for those who follow me already on @BeagleManHank) appears on Mondays, usually. Actually, whenever Beagle Man decides to give me some space . . .
Ricky, First, welcome back. Sounds like you and BM had a good trip despite his absentmindedness, losing all your bowls and such. Regarding the latest RRR about the lady who wrote the poem and about “her Ricky”, you know that I am always very supportive of you when calling out BM for his transgressions. However, this time, I think you should cut BM a little slack. I like to write, and despite this, I have real problems crafting words that really hit the mark about the one who means the most to me, my dear wife. I suspect BM may have the same affliction….thinks so much of you, finds himself at a loss when coming to express it. As for Ms. Oliver…not sure she is all that into “her Ricky”. “Eyes, dark and fervent”? Sounds like she thinks he could go off the deep end when the next car goes by. Plus, my money says “her Ricky” has never been on a LA/XC trip, let alone three.
Way to go, Ricky. I’ll bet, deep down inside, BM was hysterically laughing. But he’ll never let you know it.