Tuesday Poem: Song

The minim leap of dog

behind, and in front, the hemidemisemiquavers

of rabbit.

Oblivious, both. I think of Mary

Oliver and her unleashed dogs

calling

      ‘stay’ to Ben

      ‘run’ to the raccoon.

On Pirinoa Road, we’re still

a strange kind of musical interlude
with me the conductor. Now one – ah there – and now

the other. The grace of both. No need to say a thing. 

Bow, my loves. 

Mary McCallum

Mary Oliver's lovely book Dog Poems inspired this poem, written at a place of rabbits and one dog. 

I am also the editor at the Tuesday Poem hub this week and have posted a wonderful poem by Helen Rickerby who is one of the first poets to be published as part of my new Hoopla series. Her book is Cinema. 

Tuesday Poem: Little Dog’s Rhapsody In The Night by Mary Oliver, a reading

Mary Oliver reads a poem from Dog Songs from The Penguin Press on Vimeo.

Oh this is just perfect. I am working on a poetry book at the moment with dog poems in it (that's as a publisher not a poet), and the poet sent me a link to Mary Oliver's new book called DOG SONGS (The Penguin Press 2013). I love Mary Oliver's work already -- and now I love it doubly. Such perfect lines...

Could there be a sweeter arrangement? Over and overhe gets to ask.I get to tell.

Do go to the Tuesday Poem hub for a fire cracker of a post on Les Murray,  by Zireaux, and to see the other TP poets there.