Spring 2014: Valentines Article Contribution

Better late to post than never.... Here it is.

Spring 2014: Poem 3 Rough Draft

Assignment: write a poem about love or death that excludes the contents of a long list of words that would lead towards cliches or make the poem easier. Here's the first draft of what I wrote. (This one is getting formal comments only from the instructor and not the class.)

The Price for a Living Mirror

At the shelter from open to close

$150 adoption fee

$155 to the US Dog Registry

More than $200 to Petsmart:

2 collars

2 leashes

2 sweaters

Booties

Bowls

Food

Treats

Toys

Shampoo- for “super sensitive skin” just in case

Pet stain spray

Nail clippers

A crate

A carrier

A name tag: Frankie after Frankie Manning

Student loans

Ouch

Picking up poop with used grocery bags before breakfast

Biking a mile back from campus between classes for a potty break

Scrubbing drool or possibly pee from the sheets

Going for walks instead of watching Doctor Who

Teaching people play manners: no biting now- uh uh uh

Putting the plushy black poodle and loon on a high shelf

Spending the first week or two smelling like a dog shelter

So worth it

Spring 2014: Poem 2 Rough Draft

(I'd like to emphasize the rough draft........ Certain cliches and cheesy things are gonna go. This is just the version that was workshopped.)

My New Best Friend

You've got four tiny paws

Or maybe three that get you around fine.

Two eyes glittering with the joy of being alive

Or maybe just the one it takes to see what matters.

Two ears, maybe perky, maybe floppy

Or maybe the left one hears funny from under the tatters.

One tail thumping against your favorite people's laps

Or maybe crooked and tickling at tummies.

One nose shiny and wet and cold too early in the morning,

Or maybe with a deep cleft resembling leathery butt cheeks with nostrils.

Whether you come to me in one piece

Or lose something along the way,

Whether you curl up on my cold toes while I work

Or take a long nap nestled at my side,

Whether you face the wind in my bike basket with your tongue lolling

Or turn backward to make sure I'm still there behind,

Whether you prefer ear scratches that make your eyes droop

Or tummy rubs that bring upside-down toothy smiles,

Whether you shake squeaky toys until the stuffing comes out

Or startle me out of my skin dropping your favorite bone on the tiles,

I can't wait to meet you.

Spring 2014: Did You Know: YouTube Learning Communities

Here's my column about learning on YouTube!

Spring 2014: Article Contribution- Buses, Bikes, and Automobiles

http://readbuzz.com/life/2014/buses-bikes-and-automobiles