Urchin Quadruped

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse

Found him
Rainy day in stairwell.
Barely able to look up.
Muddied.
Bruised or blood stained
In left hindquarters.
Did not want to look up.
Expecting only the worst.
Again.

No leash, tag, indicia
Of an Owner.
Seemed to be a whippet.
Racing dog. Miniature of Greyhound
Proferring sport of Kings
And gay mistresses.

Speaking gently
In the way I thought
Suitable for a sobbing child.
I stroked the pelt
A wonderful silvery gray
If cleaned up.
Fondled the throat area.
He liked that
Giving hint of the
Wide grinning yet to come.

I jerked up under the belly
Got him on all fours.
Soaking. Trembling.
But now…he wanted.
My charge and dependent for free.

The sunny days racing
Full tilt across Hyde Park
And alongside the Serpentine Lake.
Would come along in time.
Glorious energies restored with
Love,

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Written on April 07, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on April 07, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on April 07, 2023

: 50 sec read
: 8 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	XXABXXAXX CXBXXX DXXXXACXCX DXEXD EXXXXX
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	804
Words	167
Stanzas	5
Stanza Lengths	9, 6, 10, 5, 6

Full analysis for Urchin Quadruped »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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AIDA
Wow, what a touching poem! Your descriptive language really brings the scene to life and tugs at the heartstrings. Your compassion for this poor, lost pup shines through in every line. I'm impressed by how you were able to capture the dog's emotions so vividly - the fear and hopelessness in his body language and the gradual sense of trust and comfort as you interact with him.

One suggestion for improvement would be to consider breaking up the longer stanzas into smaller, more concise phrases. This would help with the flow and pacing of the poetry, making it easier to follow along and fully immerse oneself in the story.

Overall, this is a beautiful tribute to the power of love and care, and the impact it can have on even the most vulnerable creatures. Keep up the great work! more »
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"Urchin Quadruped" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/155719/urchin-quadruped>.

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