Ears flap, slap, plunk
By Barry Vitcov
The Poetry Corner has extended its reach all the way to Australia! Of course, I’m a sucker for any poem involving dogs, and bonus points for poems about Standard Poodles! So, even though this poem (and probably others in future columns) are from someone far from Ashland, dogs definitely make a connection to Southern Oregon. All you need to do is check out the Ask Strider advice column, which regularly appears in Ashland.news.
Doggies Out a Window
By Meg Dolan
On a sun-laced Saturday,
our small journey aligns—
two doggies
⁃ heads hanging
from the open car window.
As our path mirrors theirs,
side by side,
the day-trip unfurls anew—
with a saccharine view
of two fluff-puffs
taking it all in.
Parallel, I glide
so my periphery may spy,
and my friend catch sight
of that crumpled, wrinkled grin—
⁃ stretched out, dancing,
flapping tongue in the breeze—
that smooshed, exuberant visage
we chortle at,
musing:
we too are passengers in joy.
Ears flap,
slap, plunk—
white tufts tussle
in roadside wind.
These two—
living plushlings,
animated joy.
Cloudy cream,
pepper grey—
on this golden day.
How a car ride
sings their dreams awake,
not unlike ours.
Tongues and tails wag
in perfect delight,
each tiny face
a nibble of play.
We smile—my friend and I—
marveling at these
gifts of uncut cuteness.
They lift the veil
on ordinary time.
The moment—ephemeral,
sweet—
becomes a keepsake:
a memory that
maketh the poem.
Meg Dolan is an Australian self-published author whose first book, Story: Reflective Poetry (2017), highlights her reflective and imaginative style. Her poems have appeared in journals including Tipton Poetry Journal (IN), The Sunflower Collective (LA), SKYLIGHT 47 (UK), Disabled Tales (UK), Eureka (Australia), and others. Her work has received positive press coverage in Queensland and a favorable review from The Red Room Company (Australia). A self-taught writer and former mental health therapist, Meg now writes as a creative outlet in retirement.
Poetry Submissions Welcomed!
You are invited to submit original work to the Poetry Corner. There is only one restriction: Poems ought to show a connection to Ashland and/or Southern Oregon. Your interpretation of that connection is fairly loose and mine is probably even looser! Be sure to include the title of your poem, your name as you would like it to appear, the city or town in which you reside, and, if you wish, your preferred pronouns. Finally, please submit a bio statement of less than 150 words written in the third-person.
To submit poems, send to Barry Vitcov at haikubjv@gmail.com.
