A Puppy and a Poem

The greatest challenge, it turns out, might be tearing myself away from this place. And here's why. His name is Milo, he's been with my family for a week and a half, and will be ten weeks old tomorrow. The photograph does not do him justice. For some more unbearable cuteness, go to YouTube and watch a fawning proud-parent video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE2MABtzxoU&feature=player_embedded

Milo is not much of a walker yet, but hopefully he'll figure out that the road isn't too scary, the leash not too uncomfortable, and new places not too terrible. For now, his favorite pastimes are hiding in the tall grass, napping in the sun, and wrasslin' with anyone who will get down on the ground with him.

One can't help but feel a bit of separation anxiety every time one leaves home without this little fellow. (My mother has her fingers crossed that she'll win the lottery so she can quit her job and stay home with him all the time.) If I can barely tear myself away for an afternoon, how am I going to manage six whole weeks? He'll be well taken care of; younger brothers (fellow puppies?) Aaron and Colin are on summer vacation, so Milo will have no shortage of playmates and guardians. I just don't want to think about how much growing he will have done by the time I get back... Honestly, though, I'll be happy when he's a bit more grown up. His legs need to get a little longer and we need to build up his confidence about new places before he can go on hikes with his people. For now, we're still working on teaching him that the car is not a bad place to be.

Do I have any non-puppy-related thoughts right now? Perhaps. I am hard at work memorizing poems, a habit I've fallen out of over the past year or two. I promised myself when I walked the Long Trail last year that I would recite poetry to myself as I walked, but that fell utterly through the cracks. This time around, I'm getting serious. I have several pages of shortish poems by other people (Rilke, Gary Snyder, Seamus Heaney) as warm-ups, and I'll bring some of my own stuff, too. Here's my first effort, a little one by Snyder:

There are those who like to get dirty
and fix things.
They drink coffee at dawn,
beer after work

And those who stay clean,
just appreciate things,
At breakfast they have milk
and juice at night.

There are those who do both,
they drink tea.

I'm fairly certain I fall into the latter category. Tea is the only thing I can't seem to go a day without lately. The beverage of choice for folks who can't decide whether they are do-ers or be-ers.