Yesterday I had a visiting hound for a few hours. Sos is a big, gentle greyhound, and spent much of the visit sleeping on my loungeroom floor while I worked nearby. At one point, though, a noise made me look up and I laughed to see Sos running in his sleep. His legs twitched back and forth, his tail straightened and I swear he was smiling.
Sos was here while his owner was off working, so I’m convinced he was dreaming of going home and having his daily walk. When Is napped this photo a little while later, I knew I had to caption it, with a poem.
Dreams of home, dinner
and morning walks play through mind
of a sleeping hound.
(poem and photo copyright Sally Murphy, 2021)
It was only later that I realised I was writing to the same theme as last week’s post where I wrote about echidna’s dream. Perhaps I am slightly obsessed with sleep at the moment?
Something else I am obsessed with is getting poetry out into the world and into the hearts and hands of readers. So I am delighted that today’s Poetry Friday host, Kathryn Apel, has a brand new book out this week: The Bird in the Herd.
When I saw the title of this book, the rhyme just wouldn’t let me go, and I wanted to play with it. This is for you, Kat:
Have you heard
about the Bird in the Herd?
The Bird in the Herd
is good I’ve heard!
So spread the word
about the bird
the bird in the herd
now that you’ve heard.
And, as I played with birds and herds and words, I also started singing, because it reminded me of this song. If you haven’t heard it for a while, you are welcome for the ear worm I am about to give you:
Congratulations Kat for your new book baby!
You can head over to Kat’s blog to learn more about The Bird in the Herd, and to see the Poetry Friday roundup Muster. Have a wonderful Friday!
Such a sweetie-pie. I feel myself extra drawn toward reading and writing poems about peaceful topics (like sleep). This is just wonderful :>)
Awww….what a sweet hound Sos is and what a sweet poem to go with his (hopefully) sweet dreams. Your fun poem for Kat had me tapping my toes for the Bird in the Herd.
Oh, I do love a good and faithful hound. Mine is right next to me … also dreaming. She would like me to get up and get her breakfast as well. That way, the cat, who is pacing back and forth in front of both of us as I tap away at this keyboard will get his breakfast and stop the silly pacing that interrupts good dreams. How much the animals we love lead us right into their world!
Such a sweet poem for dreamy Sos–maybe there’s a bird in his dream somewhere. Catchy poem for Kat’s book, and oh that video had me smiling and laughing—I thought surely by the end he’d sprout some feathers… thanks Sally!
Such a sweet poem for dreamy Sos–maybe there’s a bird in his dream somewhere. Catchy poem for Kat’s book, and oh that video had me smiling and laughing—I thought surely by the end he’d sprout some feathers… thanks Sally!
You’re welcome Michelle. Thanks for visiting.
Yes, another poem about the dreams of a creature! Such a great theme! Maybe you should write a book about it?
Thanks Ruth. I like the idea of collection of dream poems.
I guess we’ve all seen our dogs twitch & move & know somehow they’re dreaming those doggie dreams, though what language it comes out as is for only them to know, right? How great you took your moments with Sos & wrote a poem for him. Then the fun rhyme for Kat & her new book & yes, that earworm. I haven’t HEARD that song in a long time, funny times for hits! Thanks, Sally!
Thanks you Linda. And my apologies for the ear worm. It has been with me now for two days!
Thank you, Sally for sharing Sos with us! I do love imagining dreams, and have written A LOT of dream poems! And I love the fun you had with Kat’s book title, too. 🙂 xo
Thanks Irene. Yes, wondering about dreams – my own and others – is a favourite of mine, too.
I can understand a possible obsession with sleep these days… precious sleeping Sos! That paw makes the photo…I daresay your verse captures his hound-dreams exactly.
Thanks Fran. Yes, as soon as I saw him do that with his paw I knew I had to get a photo. So cute.
I love your sweet Sos pup picture and poem, Sally. And your wonderful poetic tribute to Kat’s book baby! (you weren’t kidding about the ear worm quality of that song! 😉 )
Thank you Bridget. My apologies for the earworm. It’s been in my head for two days now!
How wonderful to consider dog dreams. What a fab picture and verse. And I’m so glad I’ve now heard about the Bird in the Herd.
Thank you Janice. Now you’ve heard about the bird…
Hey Sally. You are kind to think of Sos’s dream time. And also to come up with a rhyme about Kat’s THE BIRD IN THE HERD. It looks like a wonderful picture book. And you brought a big laff with the crazee song!!
Jan/Bookseedstudio
Thanks Jan 🙂
? Thank-you, Sally. I love both your poems! I must admit, when I read about Sos running in his dreams, I imagined him chasing birds – probably on account of your post title. Thank-you for spreading the word about ‘The Bird in the Herd’. And poetry. And today’s muster!
Chase birds? Never! (Actually my little Murphpup loved to chase the birds from the yard.)
Glad you enjoyed my tribute 🙂