Poems From the Porch 19
And the Weather is Fine
Welcome to the porch. Thank you for taking some time away from your busy lives to just sit and relax for a few minutes as I share this weeks requested poems. As usual the topics are diverse and I am sure you will find them interesting. There are actually two poems about travel and two about dogs, but none about travelling dogs.
I said last week that I had run out of requests well you, my readers, answered the call and I received a flood of new prompts. Keep them coming and Poems From the Porch will keep on keeping on.
The weather since the start of the New Year has been the welcome relief we have been hoping for for so long. The extended drought now broken, mostly sunny days but rain almost every afternoon or night. Most of the fires that have been burning around the country are now out and people can start rebuilding their lives. So to me, all this is a good definition of “fine.”
Liz Westwood
“How about a poem on the benefits of travel?”
I should have expected this topic from you Liz as I know from your wonderful in-depth and informative articles how much travel means to you. I decided to share two poems on your requested subject. I hope you like them.
The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.
— St. AugustineThe Benefits of Travel
I’ve travelled all around the world,
New York to Kathmandu,
Rode a gondola in Venice
And a camel in Timbuktu.
I’ve climbed Mt Kilimanjaro
And the Eiffel Tower in France,
Escaped from Sudanese pirates
By the literal seat of my pants.
The Pacific Islands called me,
They coaxed me with their charms.
On beautiful white beaches
I lay beneath the palms.
I’ve enjoyed cups of tea in Mumbai,
And coffee in Instanbul.
I’ve dined in style in Tuscany,
And in Madrid I fought a bull.
Some people love possessions,
Some just like solitude,
But my true love is travelling
By plane, road, rail, or cruise.
The benefits of travel
Are just to vast to list,
But if you never leave your home
You won’t know what you missed.
The Lonely Traveller
I am a lonely traveller
I’ve been around the world.
New destinations every year,
Adventures are unfurled.
I’ve seen the sights of Europe
Like Pisa's Leaning Tower,
And trekked in Asian countries
Like China and Nepal.
The wide brown land Australia,
Africa’s Sahara sands,
America both North and South,
And many other lands.
The things I’ve seen amaze me,
And the people I have met.
I’d love a travelling buddy
But I haven’t found one yet.
Traveling alone gives freedom
But it makes one feel alone,
Especially when you’re in strange lands
So many miles from home.
Hamish Mamgain
”A few days ago, I saw a dog on the way. Instantly a thought lingered in me about writing a poem about dog , but it hasn't materialised as yet. Could you please write one extending this series.”
I love animals, Harish, and have dogs of my own so I enjoyed writing this poem "The Stray."
Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog;
but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog.
— Douglas MallochThe Stray
A stray dog sleeps beneath the stairs
Of the apartment where I live.
He follows me when I go out
He has lots of faith to give.
He has no collar or real home,
I don’t even know his name
So I just call him “Hobo,”
He’s friendly and he’s tame.
He’s not a pedigree for sure,
Can‘t even tell his breed,
He doesn’t expect much in life,
But will beg for a small feed.
I give him scraps I have to spare,
And water to survive.
He shows me thanks as best he can,
With sad but grateful eyes.
I’m not supposed to have a pet,
But I may just take him in,
Ignoring an abandoned soul,
To me, would be a sin.
Pamela Oglesby
"I do not know if you have written a poem about pets. Through the years I have had such loving dogs and cats. However, my first pet was a canary. My girlfriends bought it for my 16th birthday as my parents would not let us get pets when we were growing up. I was overjoyed."
I cant imagine life without pets, Pamela. At time of writing I have two dogs, six cats, and three hens. That number also tends to change from time to time. Yes, I have written a few poems about pets, but this time I decided to write you a poem about one of my dogs, Omo.
Dogs die. But dogs live, too. Right up until they die, they live. They live brave, beautiful lives. They protect their families. And love us. And make our lives a little brighter. And they don't waste time being afraid of tomorrow.
— Dan Gemeinhart, The Honest TruthA Dog Called Omo
I have a dog named Omo,
She is a white Maltese.
She‘s eight years old and has a limp
But at least she has no fleas.
We took her in just recently,
She was needing a new home.
Abandoned pets know where to go
To make it in a poem.
She likes to tease the neighbour’s dogs,
Annoy them ‘til they bark.
As long as they’re behind a fence
She’s fearless like a shark.
Her tongue is always hanging out,
I guess it’s just too long.
It‘s tempting to just cut it off,
But that would just be wrong.
Omo’s a friend to Ginger
Who’s deaf, and blind as well.
The presence gives her comfort
For she has the sense of smell.
Sometimes Omo’s grumpy,
And tends to eat too much.
I need to help her lose some weight
And reduce her food a touch.
Whether you have dogs or cats,
Or any type of pet,
Tret them like your family
And make sure their needs are met.
Bill Holland
"I was looking forward to your mud poem for two weeks, and you didn't disappoint. Another, please? 'The muffled silence of snow.' "
Sure, Bill, not a problem. I have never seen or experienced snow first hand, let along heard it. But, here goes. I hope you don't mind me borrowing a little from your latest "Mailbag."
I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.
— Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-GlassThe Muffled Silence of Snow
The snow flakes fall so gently
While we're asleep at night,
A ghostly sheet decending
Blankets everything in white.
It muffles the loud city sounds
In a stillness and a calm.
Some say they don't like winter,
But it has a special charm.
For children there are snowmen
And snowball fights to win,
Then inside sitting by the fire
To thaw their frosty skin.
Many creatures hibernate
when snow starts falling light,
Preparing for the winter's cold
When food supplies are nigh.
Life becomes so peaceful
And everything moves slow.
Each winter I just long to hear
the muffled silence of the snow.
© 2020 John Hansen
Comments
Super poems, John, light-hearted and fun. Each brought a smile to my face.
I love travelling, dogs and snow, so this was right up my street!
Glad to hear that most of the fires have gone. There must be so much rebuilding to do for some but it's amazing how resilient humans are and how they rally round when others need help - it lifts the spirit.
How about a poem regarding poetry versus prose?!
Ann
These are all such wonderful poems, John. Its difficult for me to say which one I like the best. They are all top-notch. I especially love the poems about dogs. Like you, I love animals too and always seem to be adding more to the ones I have either by fostering or taking in strays! I had a dog named Ginger for a very long time and she was a real buddy to Ernie who is now 16 years old, and he can still hear and see just fine! I love Omo. She looks so sweet. I've always loved the snow but where I live now, we don't get any. But your poem, certainly struck a chord. Beautifully written, it brought back wonderful memories for me. Thanks!
These were all great. Your travel ones remind one of the many opportunities people have to discover this wide world of ours. It is fun traveling with family or friends. It would not be as much fun (for me) to travel alone as your 2nd travel poem described.
Snow does blanket the earth with a pristine whiteness. We rarely see snowflakes, much less accumulation of snow in Houston, but having lived in Wisconsin as a child, and later, as an adult, it is a fun memory.
Loved your dog Omo poem! So happy for her and Ginger. Most of our dogs through the years have been rescues. May your pets give you many years of pleasure!
The sentiments in your poems about travel and pets. and also the descriptions in "Muffled Silence" are touching as is your appeal at the end. Thank you.
John, you wondered why they didn't stay. Apparently they had an important agenda. We saw them first in a shelter advertisement in the paper, a brother and sister catahoula, and thought about adopting them, but someone else beat us to them. Two months later, they appeared on our back deck. We live in a woodsy area close to the intersection of two major interstate highways I-40 and I-430. They were tired and hungry and seemed quite content after we fed them and gave them a soft place to sleep. We'd planned to check with the shelter the next day to see who the owner was or if we could adopt them. We didn't put them on leashes to take them outside because we hadn't fed them breakfast and thought they would come back to eat. But they didn't come back, and we've never heard from them again. We will always wonder about the little sweet mystery wandering dogs.
What a wonderful edition! Your poems about travel have given me wanderlust. My favorite is the last one. You captured the magic and beauty of the season with your words. It almost has me longing for snow.. almost. haha!
I enjoyed reading all of your poems, beautifully expressed. My favorite it the The Muffled Silence of Snow. Great poetry.
Hi Jodah, I like the fast pace of the first poem about the benefits of travelling, as if we are actively and miraculously time travelling to see many countries and seeing glimpses of their beauty. And I am amused at the food and drinks part because we taste each specialty quickly. The Lonely Traveller poem is like a relaxed and leisurely walk, really like what solo travelling is all about. The one about Ono is a lovely tribute because you know your pet dog from nose to tail. Haha. As for your last poem about snow, I can understand how time can stand still with the silence of the snow. It's a good way of describing snow because you get to appreciate the moment. Thanks for sharing!
Your poems are remarkable and I enjoy each one. My favorites are the dog poems...I love our precious animals so much.
I'd love to see what you can come up with using "Lies or Dishonesty" as the subject for a poem. Thanks, John.
Yeah, can you hear me clapping? Love the travel ones, but the dog poems are brilliant! (I love dogs, so.....) LOL!
I loved all of them and the ones about the dogs were just delightful
Really great job, my friend. I always enjoy reading your work :)
Thank you very much for the poems about travel. They are great, as I expected. Once again you have shown your versatility with poems on dogs and snow as well. The stray dog reminded me of stray dogs that hung around our holiday accommodation in Cyprus.
Thank you for sharing the poems and for adopting Omo, John. I'm glad that Omo has a good home and that Ginger has a new friend.
Loved the poem about the stray dog... Wish all people are as considerate as you and show a little kindness towards them!
John, I meant to tell you how pleased and relieved I am that you finally are having some rain that's benefiting your land. Great news that many of the fires have been extinguished.
I, too, give homes to animals (cats) that need some comfort and love. Two of my three indoor cats are rescues. My two outdoor cats are strays that decided my home needed to be theirs. Sadly, I think both were abandoned because they're definitely not feral.
Loved today's porch, John. For someone who hasn't experienced snow, you gave us a nice experience. Travel was great, and the dogs were superb. Didn't write about a traveling dog, huh. If I were a poet, I would write about the two little traveling catahoula puppies that we'd hoped to adopt, but they said, "No thanks," we've got to move on." And so they went.
Yes agreed. Continue to carry on.
Hi Jodah another poem with an easy flow and such talent from you shows me your expressions from all sides.
So nice of you to carry on with the series and giving us gifts of lovely poems to read each week from your porch, John. The poems on traveler, dogs, and snow are so very well rhymed and presented. Although I personally do not like pets, I couldn't help appreciating the poems about them.
You rocked with these. The cadence was wonderful.
I loved each and every line. esp. the Doggie and the snow. As you probably know, I am allergic to animal dander. ( I've written about how hard I've tried to have one. ) I usually have a doggie 2 or 3 days before my eyes begin to swell. The last one was so special, my friend Tammy gave him to me, I took him to the Dr. got all he needed, bought him a bed, jacket and food he'd never had before. He loved shrimp. On the third day I got really sick, so I called my friend, she came to pick him up and was standing at the door getting ready to leave, he broke loose from her and came to me and licked my hand, as if to say, " I enjoyed my time with you, but I'm going home with mommy. " Needless to say, I was crying like a baby. It ' ain't ' fair.
Great job with all of these, John! I particularly like "The Stray". I read a lot of wonderful stories and watch videos on The Dodo about strays that have been taken in by compassionate humans.
I also enjoyed your traveling poems. I don't travel much, so thanks for taking me along for the ride.
For never having experienced snow, you responded well to Bill's request. You pretty much nailed it!
John, your love for animals shines through. That poor little waif under the porch needs a real home. Your Omo does not look very pleased. Perhaps she doesn't like the new hair style?
I can't imagine never experiencing snow. Perhaps you should visit Washington State. Bill and I would be glad to introduce you to Mount Rainier.
I love this series. How about a poem about a cook in the kitchen? It could be an experienced chef, or someone who is hapless and helpless. Let your Muse guide you.
John, you wrote such beautiful poems, as requested by friends. Love reading all of them. I also got mine " The Stray " , and it is almost close to my feelings when I spotted a dog. Thanks a bunch my friend for sharing your talent.
Thank you for sharing your descriptive inspiring work.
John, you such an amazing and inspirational writer. The poems are nothing short of top-notch.
Omo is so adorable by the way.
I love reading Poems From the Porch. I look forward to it. It's like waiting for my favorite tv program to come on, or waiting for the next chapter in an amazing book I'm reading. It feels like that. I love "chillin" on the the porch.
A poem about dogs and my snow poem...what a great time on the porch this week. You've never experienced snow? My goodness...I wish I could rectify that for you, my friend. Anyway, thanks for taking my request....when you get the time, how about one about woodpeckers?
Well this was cool - not just the snow one. I counted ten of the places you mention as being there. Reminds me of Jesus sending out the disciples and Buddha's long journey. To semi-quote Buddha said that a earnest day of travel is worth a year of school.
I have had the pleasue of meeting the travelling dogs. Always seemed polite enough to me. Like meeting a new friend.
Wonderful poems on different topics, and I enjoyed all of them.
The travel poems are great. Wonder if, you have visited all those places, you have mentioned in your poem! Must be a great experience.
I believe, you can compose poems, on any topic.
How about a poem on, ‘Trust and Betrayal.’
Thank you for sharing!
I really like the variety of topics for your poems today, and as always each one was very good. Your weekly poems from the porch are always nice to read and I truly enjoy your series.
No. I'm ahead of Lorna. Lol. Anyway, I was about to press 'comment' when the 'angel' dentist, called me in. So I lost another five minutes. I'm claiming this. Ha ha.
"Beautiful weather
White snow settles upon cars
The hanging trees waltz." - spontaneous haiku by Manatita
Seems I'm the first here. Great! All very nicely done and I like both travel poems. I'm a nature man so how can I not love the snow poem? Excellent work!
Just grabbing a cup of tea John and a few moments to relax with your wonderful collection of poems. I can certainly relate to the travel poems as I have always had a restless spirit. You have explored both sides of travelling really well. The poem about the stray dog was really touching and reminds me of the rescue dogs we have brought into our home over the years. You will have to come to Ireland and experience the snow John - it paints a very beautiful landscape. A lovely title for the poem as it does muffle everything in a very surreal way. Another enjoyable read and no time for that second cuppa. Cheers John.
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