Poetry Friday: Valentine Edition
February 9th, 2007 by Eisha and Jules
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Happy Valentine’s Day from Team 7ITBB! We’re celebrating early with one of the most excellent, unsentimental love poems ever, “Falling In Love is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali. Posing as muse is Gus, who belongs to Eisha’s sister. Who’s a good boy? Hmm? Is it Gus? YesHeIs! Ooh, SuchAGoodBoy!!! You’reSuchASweetie! OOF! Okay, Gus, that’s enough. No! NO!! Down, boy! Okay… okay. Good boy.
Anyway, the poem:
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Read the rest here. You can also find an edited version in Caroline Kennedy’s anthology A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children (Hyperon, 2005), illustrated by Jon J. Muth. Happy Valentine’s Day!
{And visit here at The Blue Rose Girls’ site for today’s Poetry Friday round-up} . . .
Ladeez,
Consider yourselves rounded up. The Poetry Friday roundup will be at Blue Rose girls this week.
What kind of dog is Gus? I’d like a dog like that!
he’s some kind of schnauzer mix – he’s hilariously scruffy and cute, with these rangy legs and those out-of-control eyebrows, and a tail that has a tuft at the end like an elephant. i’ve never seen anything else like him.
Hmmm. I don’t know if I’d call that unsentimental. I think it’s pretty sweet.
🙂
Gus could be a total book cover dog. Get him an agent.