The greatest love is a mother's; then a dog's; then a sweetheart's.
Polish Proverb
If I lived in a big enough house this is (one of) the breeds of dog I would like to own, it is of course an Irish Wolfhound. Like Finn, our much loved lurcher, they are very loyal and affectionate. Unfortunately I couldn't fit one into my wee cottage.
And talking of dogs, I promised you another favourite poem from the Mary Oliver book.
Here it is:
Percy Wakes Me
Percy wakes me and I am not ready...
Now he's eager for action: a walk, then breakfast....
He is sitting on the kitchen counter where he is not supposed to be.
How wonderful you are, I say. How clever, if you needed me, to wake me.
He thought he would hear a lecture and deeply his eyes begin to shine.
He tumbles onto the couch for more compliments.
He squirms and squeals; he has done something that he needed and now he hears that it's okay.
I scratch his ears, I turn him over and touch him everywhere. He is
wild with the okayness of it. Then we walk, then he has breakfast, and he is happy.
This is a poem about Percy.
This is a poem about more than Percy.
Think about it.
Mary Oliver
How about a Bedlington lurcher, like our 2? they look like a miniature deerhound.
ReplyDeleteTalking of dogs, it looks like we may be adopting a 3rd in the future, as we have promised an elderly friend of ours that we will take her (boy) dog if she goes into long term care. I guess one more won't make that much difference :-D
Is Percy a poodle or a husband? LOL!
ReplyDeleteActually sounds just like my little poodle who joyfully greets me every single morning no matter my mood. She's forbidden from being on the back of the living room furniture because she tends to topple off, but she does it anyway when alone at night.
Oh that great Irish Wolfhound...a wonderful dog. I'm afraid that I'd not be able to afford to feed one. What do you think of bull mastifs? I've always wanted one of those.
Sweet proverb...
We have friends who live with a lovely Irish Wolfhound. Such an amazing creature. Very noble. Very kind.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Edward and I love the poem!!
Great poem Cait,Percy sounds like a real sweetheart, and I love the Polish proverb too. I think wolfhounds are lovely mannered and even tempered dogs.My uncle Seamus breeds them, and they often have four or five puppies,and Vee is right, huge dog food bill. We have two 8 year old black labs who think they are still puppies, Mimi and Mathilde. Hugs, Margie.
ReplyDeleteLurchers are wonderful. My sister had a lurcher called 'Folly' as in 'when ignorance is bliss.'
ReplyDeleteYes, that lovely poem could have applied to Folly.
i like the polish proverb too must write a poem about my dog monkey :-)
ReplyDeleteI think that illustration of the Irish Wolfhound is lovely.
ReplyDeleteThe only experience I had of one was a very long time ago when I was a young mum. Although my daughter loved it, and wanted to spend time with it, it lived with some very laissez faire people up the street, who at times I felt I just wanted to shake!
It was a dishevelled male, quite unkept, on the goofy side, not very intelligent, and it just used to wander the streets with nothing much to do. No road sense.Certainly no sense of purpose other than to eat and sleep.
Come to think of it, it fitted in quite well with a lot of other males in the suburb at the time!!
I love the poetry of Mary Oliver and this is a new one on me - just delightful.
ReplyDeleteJeanne
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Hello Cait,
ReplyDeleteI love the Irish Wolfhounds, some friend's of mine used to have one here in Norfolk named Big Mick.
Another wonderful poem of Mary Oliver, thank you Cait. I can't wait to read more of her poems I have reserved from my local library.
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