DOG LOOKING DOWN FROM A SECOND STORY WINDOW
by April Halprin Wayland
dog lifting ear
wrinkling wet nose
whistle of man
done with day’s work
twitching the tip of a tail
putting big paws on the ledge
shoes on cement
key metal gate
dog looking down
man looking up
wiggly rump
galloping over the hall
tearing down all of the stairs
bounding outside
tangle of legs
plough into man
crash to the ground
licking this most beloved shoe
Poetry Prompt:
Eli waits for Gary to come home every night. Eli’s exhilaration lends itself to a short, clipped rhythm. In poetry, a stressed beat is noted with a slash (/) while an unstressed beat is merely a period.
The rhythm I use in this poem is mostly: /../ (Shoes on cement /../)
But sometimes I change it up: Putting big paws on the ledge /../../)
It’s your turn. Think about someone coming home. Can you put it into a poem? If the rhythm I used feels appropriate for your poem, try it yourself. (For more guidance regarding poetic meter and rhythm, see Myra Cohn Livingston‘s wonderfully clear and basic book, Poem-Making.)