Miracle of Malachy, my spirit animal



The Miracle of Malachy
      (my spirit animal)

 

Have I told you the story of Malachy?

The Westminster winner of two thousand twelve —

You must believe it is not a lie,

as into the tale I delve:

My children and I were bestowed,

backstage passes to watch and admire,

rivals being coiffed to be shown,

unaware of what would transpire…

I warned:

“Don’t go near pups or their handlers”

for the tension it would foment

Then, looking like a panhandler

toward a mop of a pup I was sent!

With a flog to the back of my head,

I was pushed toward the entrant in tow

Not knowing why I said what I said —

“Your puppy will win ‘Best in Show’!”

Well, believe it or not, this did happen:

that night Malachy won ‘Best of Breed’

Then went on to capture,

‘Top Dog of Westminster’

Yes— a miracle happened indeed!


 

About this poem

The year was 2012. My son was given backstage tickets to the Westminster Dog Show in NYC. The poem is a true story about the events that occurred that night. To this day, the experience gives me chills. A force greater than myself was responsible for my actions. Malachy has since died, but two more events regarding him have happened since that night in 2012…stories for another time. One thing I know for sure — Malachy is my spirit animal.

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Written on March 11, 2023

Submitted by susan.brumel on May 13, 2024

57 sec read
60

Quick analysis:

Scheme AX A B X B X X X C X D C D E X E A X F C C F
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 858
Words 191
Stanzas 22
Stanza Lengths 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1

Susan Mayer Brumel

A few years ago, I retired from a thirty-five year career in hospice counseling, at which time I began writing poetry. My poems are influenced by my patients’ journeys, the compelling beauty of nature, and the human condition. A lover of all animals and most people, I enjoy spending time in nature, long walks, and reading Pablo Neruda, Blake, William Carlos Williams, James Joyce, Mary Oliver, Emily Dickinson, Maya Angelou, Leonard Cohen, and more. Baudelaire tells us to ‘be drunk’ on something every day; I am drunk on poetry and intend never to be sober! more…

All Susan Mayer Brumel poems | Susan Mayer Brumel Books

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