melissaahowells

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The Petty Player Who Rarely Sleeps

I'd Like A Taste (The Wolf Said)

The Crow Is A Black Bird

When I Start to Bloom

I'd Like To Be Your Shirt (when you wake up in the morning)



All Beings Considered

Words Between Edward And Jane

Nothing's Sadder Than A Rose

The Great Tsunami Of Our Growing Grief written 3/2.2021--retitled 3/14/2021

After Wide Sargasso Sea ( For Those of You Readers Who Have Empathy For the First Mrs. Rochester.)

WAITING ON THE WORLD (March/February 2021 poetry)

Wild and Unraveling

What Must Be

These Hands Exist July 4 2023 rei-edited 7/12/2023

I Am The Color Of Black

The Tide of Your Lies (2019-2023)

How I Wanted Your Pearls 6/24/2023 WRITTEN DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE

Love Wants What Love Wants re-edited 5/31/023

Winter's Been Too Long.... 4/18/2023 (LONGING)

The Dreaming Life ( A Series Of Dream Vignettes)

Like A Small Street Dog Lured In By The Promise Of Meat

This Is What Mermaids Dream Of

At Night, As I Dream of Vampires Who Have No Bad Intentions

And You Will Be Called Ashes As You Leave ( from a dream)

Certainly No Bread 3/16/2022

Someone Send Out A Search Party

THE FAN , AT NIGHT, GIVES GOOD ADVICE completely re-edited, an entirely different poem

What Is The Price For Your Touch? re-editied 5/31/2023

Where Is My Bed With The Pleasing Tree -Lined View(NOW REEDITED)

Oh What Fine Physics (Before Me ,Lies) re-edtited @4/17/2023

If Prejudice Were Dumb And Could Not Speak

THE COMPANY THAT WE KEEP WITH THE ONE WITHIN

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Dog Lives Are Shorter


middle aged man
twenty-six inch green bike
black dog trotting behind
valiantly trying not to stumble through the hike
black dog tied to the seat
un-slackened rope tugging side to side
I'm worried
black dog will fall into a heap

man is so unaware
seems man doesn't care
black dog is lagging
dragging both lame feet behind
its too unkind
how he's hurrying as fast as he can
pink tongue lolling out
both back paws limping and sore
hot footing gingerly from one to the other
back and forth
but a dog is not a street sweeper
so
it makes me wonder if middle aged man
knows what a real dog is for?

I try to catch up
to give the man a piece of my mind
middle aged man can't hear me shouting
due to Broadway's traffic horns honking
I can't catch up to him
I'm lagging further behind
his music's a-blasting
he is in his own world
ignorant or blind to the cruelty
he's tasking

I'm thinking of the dog
gritting and grinding my teeth
willing this rider to stop
pull on this man
like I had his leash
but, oh no...
now he's darting through traffic
the dog dodges a near miss
ignorant man is now an idiot
only in tune to his own musical bliss

I'm angry
I'm sad
this looks pretty bad
if only in this dog were mine
he'd have only the best
I wouldn't make him pass
any compliance tests
nor be distracted by a phone
this dog might be better off on his own
someone who found him might prove to be
the better bet

black dog is a dot now
the man on green bike barely seen
still dragging his best friend
not caring about his discomfort or pain

I'd take the dog for a hamburger
I'd take him to the park
I'd take him wherever he wanted to go
I'd brag about his intelligence and how he was smarter than smart
I'd love him when he had an accident
I'd love him if he ate a delivered pizza or two
dog lives are shorter
I'd love mine two times two billion and two
dog hearts are so open
and he'd trust in me too
I wish this dog could have a do-over
dog lives are shorter.

********************

legal copyright for this poem/work
and also for this author Melissa A Howells
and also for this legally copyrighted site title
Meloo Straight From Her Tilt-a-World

I entered this poem and it didn't take the first time around
so I did my best to try to recall what I wrote...not sure I
succeeded. Probably will come back and rewrite portions of it.
Re-edited April 14th 2018/ 3:54PM PST
I actuallly saw this actual scenario/even downtown today. I was livid.
I wanted to take the black lab home with me. This is so wrong.
Dogs are not meant to run behind a bike..ever. How stupid and
thoughtless and, when it really comes down to it...cruel and abusive.

February 28 2018 4:59pm PST
edited for clarity and spelling 4/7/2018 2:14pm PST








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