April is National Poetry Month. I've always been intrigued by poets who manage to create poems from nonfiction. Today I decided I would try it. It was really, really hard and took a really, really long time! I got the information for this poem from a Psychology Today article.
"Tale of a Tail"
A wagging tail is a doggy-phone.
That action's not happening when the dog is alone
Puppies' tails wag at about six weeks,
Little guys learn, "Hey, my tail speaks!"
A tail that hangs means life is quiet,
Frantic wagging shows, "Life's a riot."
Flat and out says, "Let's explore,"
A tail held under shouts, "Fear galore."
Broad swishing says, "Hello, please pet!"
High-sitting tail might signal, "Threat!"
Tail that's happy pulls to the right.
Left-placed tail might mean, "Let's fight."
Yep, the doggie's tail has lots to say,
And it helps the dog in other ways.
The tail provides stability
It's part of dog's mobility
Helps with running, leaping, turning
Loss of tail would be concerning.
The tail also helps when dog's in water
that long appendage is a perfect rudder.
When a dog wants to signal he's alpha guy,
A wag spreads scent both far and wide.
Some might think the tail's just pretty,
It's function is actually way more than beauty.
(C) Carol Wilcox, 2019
3 comments:
Oh my goodness, you did a great NF poem. I didn't know all these things about the tails, Carol, like they begin using them at 6 weeks and the 'left' and 'right'.
You wove in all those facts AND managed to write a poem that rhymes. That deserves a tail wag or two!
Two great nonfiction poems in a row! And this one has spot-on rhyme! YAY, YOU!! I'm wagging like crazy over here!
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