Yes, more poetry! I cannot keep my inner poet down. It turns out that, with a little help from a friend, I was able to participate in the April 2021 Poem-A-Day Challenge. She supplied the daily writing prompts, and I wrote poetry while waiting at the airport for flights. (By the way, this airport-waiting was part of my children’s picture book adventure. I was on my way to and from Texas to read my books to karate seminar participants.)
Regarding my Doggie Door(man) Poetry
There are a few reasons that I wanted to share this particular poem. As I wrote the poems one at a time, each one seemed to get easier. Until this poem, which came to me so easily, it almost seemed to write itself. (Thank you Muse!) I wondered if that trend would continue, but no, the next poem was more difficult to compose.
Another reason I wanted to share this is because it is fun. It’s almost like a Mother Goose nursery rhyme, which I like to quote sometimes. (Yes, I like to quote nursery rhymes as well as some of my own poetry. [It is usually silently to myself.]) This poem is about a (girl) dog and her doggie doorman who lets her in and out. I imagine he has a slight British accent, but to each his own. (I also imagine him looking like an animated cartoon.)
And lastly, I wanted to share this poem because writing it was a lesson for me on keeping an open mind. When I read this prompt for Day 9: Give a persona to an inanimate object, I was not interested at all. If given a choice, I probably would have chosen any other prompt before this one. But I decided to “give it the old college try” (as Mr. Barker, my high school math teacher used to say). Suddenly, the idea to apply personification to a doggie door came to me, and we were off and running.
Creative Writing Advice
A big part of creative writing is to just go with the flow. Don’t doubt yourself, your poetry abilities, or the prompt. Just be willing to pick up the writing instrument (or sit at the keyboard) and start writing. If you absolutely don’t know what to write, start writing about that. Sometimes an idea will pop up while you’re in the middle of defending the reasons you cannot write, or don’t want to write about a certain thing.
Without further ado, here is the poem, interspersed with pictures:
Doggie Door(man)
by Jenifer Tull-Gauger
There you go, Miss, watch your step.
Welcome back, Miss. Like your pep!
I shall help you all day long,
Even when you feel so strong.
We will let the Missus be.
You can always come through me.
In the rain and in the heat,
My good service can’t be beat.
With my fuzzy moustache face,
I will let you choose your place.
©2021 Jenifer Tull-Gauger
P.S. Did you see these Valentine’s poems from my junior high school days?
