New Year

*Cooper

Photo © Jennifer Wagner

Your collar, green,

his, blue.

You, so polite,

of course, he bites

(as new things do).

But how much he looks like you—

the curl of his tongue in Snoopy yawn,

stretched out

on the rug

where you lay, it feels,

only moments ago.

© 2017 Jennifer Wagner

 

A Quadrille for dVerse.  Happy 2017!

*New puppy Cooper is bringing delight to our hearts after the loss of our beloved Labrador retriever, Druke, in November.

Everlove (Softly to Be Let In)

photo of card from our neighbor

This poem is about a dog,

you know the one,

the one who danced in the kitchen

with the kids after dinner;

the one who nibbled gently

on your shirtsleeve

when you played and scratched and loved him;

the one who howled happy,

and barked deep if asked to speak,

but softly to be let in;

the one who taught you more

than you taught him.

This poem is about a dog

who, with his final breaths,

looked you, each, in the face

one long, loving, last time.

© 2016 Jennifer Wagner

In Memory of Druke Wagner 2000-2016