Poetry Friday: "Trying to Write a Dog Poem in a House with Two Cats" by Billy Collins

Four years ago this week, we adopted Maisy from the animal shelter. 

She was basically a pre-schooler: 

Tiny Maisy

Now, of course, she has matured and become a responsible adult: 

The work is never done

In honor of four years with this near-perfect tabby (and with a tip of the hat to her admirable work ethic), I'm dedicating this week's Poetry Friday post to her. 

To Maisy! {clink!} 

To Billy Collins! {clink!} 

To cat poetry! {clink, clink!} 

Trying to Write a Dog Poem in a House with Two Cats
by Billy Collins

From a couch
littered with throw pillows

they are staring at me
and my open notebook,

and even though their tails
are not twitching

and their secret inboard
motors are not audible,

I know they are assuming
in unison

that I am writing
yet another dog poem

....

(Read the rest here, at Poets.org.) 

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The Poetry Friday round-up this week is being hosted by marvelous Molly at Nix the comfort zone. 

Poetry Friday: "Days" by Philip Larkin

I've taken some days off from the blog (not that I spend that many days on the blog...) but I'm back. I've been busy with some writing — a couple of stories for little kiddos are out on submission, and I'm working on a picture book manuscript. (In some ways, writing my 30,000+ word non-fiction books for grown-ups was so much easier than writing a picture book. Not that I would have said so at the time, when I wrote them under deadlines, right?) 

The intricate maneuvering required for any kind of writing — placing precisely the right words into carefully allotted spaces — is a mad skill. One day you feel like you've mastered it. Two days later, you wonder why anyone ever trusted you with a pen or a keyboard. 

Philip Larkin nailed the skill when he wrote this ten-line poem. I wonder if two days later he thought it was all a dumpster fire? 

Days
by Philip Larkin

What are days for?
Days are where we live.
They come, they wake us
Time and time over.

....

(Read the rest here, at the Poetry Foundation.) 

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The rare and wonderful Ruth is hosting Poetry Friday at There is no such thing as a God-forsaken town. 

Photo courtesy of Pixabay.