Vox Populi
A curated webspace for Poetry, Politics, and Nature with over 20,000 daily subscribers and over 8,000 archived posts.
Michael Simms: Jubilate
Now I shall praise our dog Josie
the bodhisattva of our household
the perfect embodiment
of devotion, always present
in spontaneous awe
quietly happy with her bowl and leash
the warm circle of her bed of contentment
fierce to defend her family
accepting of guests, at peace
with knowing herself, rejoicing in the good
gnawing on the bone of persistence
rejoicing in the belly-rub of pleasure
forgiving insults, abandoning resentments
never withholding love
incapable of lying
licking the face of puppy and master alike
With her, we devote ourselves
to the religion of kindness
tendering attention on each moment
Aspiring to bliss, we awaken to the real
We relish our dinner. We accept the lead
We delight in the squeaky toy
of the tv remote, the rawhide chew of politics
the tussle and chase of debate
After a day of work and play
I lay my head on your lap
beside the open window of our home
where the elderberry brings the cardinal
and the butterfly bush invites the monarch
and I rest in the wisdom of Dog
~~~~~
Copyright 2023 Michael Simms. From Strange Meadowlark (Ragged Sky, 2023)
Michael Simms is a poet, novelist and essayist, as well as the editor of Vox Populi.
Discover more from Vox Populi
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
the rawhide chew of politics
like it
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Yongbo, my esteemed scholarly friend on the other side of the world!
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful poem, Michael. Many notable lines. As Louise above, I particularly liked:
“Aspiring to bliss, we awaken to the real
We relish our dinner. We accept the lead”
Bravo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Mike!
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this ❤️❤️ I have a in this tradition for my late and marvelous standard poodle Roses.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Michael: This is a very nice poem. Ever see a 3 legged dog? I’ve thought of this from time to time over life if I had trouble. You see that poor guy and think, dam that sucks. Well it does, but the dog is running the best he can, still doing all the doggy things, that you describe, that don’t require 4 legs. He’s out there happy. Happy to be alive.
And you’re sitting there gripping…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s high time you posted and we see this. Enough has happened, the world, too long ago lost and what are we left with to finally make sensible nonsense of but this, each to our own. Orion has a “leg up on the horizon” Winter’s plans underway, It doesn’t look good. Beware, close draws the dog star.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sean. You are always a voice of the ecstatic.
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
“forgiving insults, abandoning resentments”= Lessons to learn from a dog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I’ve learned so much from Josie.
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful tribute to Josie! Such a fine dog!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Alexis!
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Michael,
I see I am by far not the only one to be delighted with the gift of coming back to this jubilant poem. All in all, Meadowlark is simply a really wonderful collection.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Luray, thank you!
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this! “rest in the autumn of dog.” Beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, this poem puts such a huge smile on my face! My hound adores it, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What kind of hound do you have?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Treeing Walker Coonhound. We adopted him as a failed hunting dog from Mississippi when he was about 4. He’s 10 now!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful! I love hounds.
>
LikeLiked by 2 people
What an ode to unconditional love. A wonderful poem, Michael. I just fell in love with dogs all over again (can’t have any here in our flat). “gnawing on the bone of persistence / rejoicing in the belly-rub of pleasure / forgiving insults, abandoning resentments // never withholding love / incapable of lying,,,”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Rose Mary. Eva and I live in a large old house in a Pittsburgh neighborhood with woodland paths and a dog park. Josie is important in our lives.
>
LikeLiked by 2 people
I love this poem.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Arlene. I love your poems as well.
>
LikeLiked by 2 people
Amen, Michael, amen. ❤️🐾
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Lisa. Josie keeps me sane, mostly.
>
LikeLiked by 4 people
Josie the bodhisattva, Josie the muse, “at peace with knowing herself, rejoicing in the good gnawing on the bone of persistence
rejoicing in the belly-rub of pleasure”, Josie!!! Hug her for me, will you — and thank you for that ode. I’m not sure how to add a photo of my Luna here — so I’ll post one on your FB page, dear Michael…
LikeLiked by 4 people
Oh, my, I think that WordPress won’t allow pictures in the comments. So sorry… >
LikeLiked by 1 person
My cat Luna would have appreciated your Luna, Laure-Anne, whatever species your Luna is. Cat Luna (or the Loon), was male, named by my son for some anime hero. He lived to be almost 21, and after wife Pam died, we were like brothers, him a tender feline guy, a grief-reliever. He missed Mama, but he’d favored me, to others’ disbelief. I gave the better tummy rubs. We invented the games Ooogy Boogy and Foot-Foot. He always won. I miss him and Pam. but love what they gave this world (and the joy we made in our household).
LikeLiked by 1 person
A fetching poem. You do a great job of manifesting doghood.
Seriously, it’s a beautiful ode to Josie and the deep love you have within her household.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Jim. I so appreciate your comments every day.
>
LikeLiked by 2 people
Tashi would approve. Dog keeps me going in this house and I am thankful for her wise presence.
LikeLiked by 3 people
This is delightful Michael, this is how to live our lives, with the wisdom of Dog – thank you Josie.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Jan. I am grateful to Josie every day.
>
LikeLiked by 2 people
Christopher Smart would approve.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I think Chris’s cat Jeofrrey might not approve of his poem being parodied to praise a dog. The price of fame.
>
LikeLiked by 3 people
Josie is kind.
Be like Josie.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you. Every day I try to be like Josie.
>
LikeLiked by 6 people
“Aspiring to bliss, we awaken to the real
We relish our dinner. We accept the lead”
Thank you, Josie!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank YOU, Louise — signed, Josie
>
LikeLiked by 3 people