Since graduate school, I haven’t worked on a lot of poetry, other than dabbling here and there with cinquains. But earlier in the year I was asked to compose children’s poems to be included in several anthologies due out next spring. The first batch was for Trust, Truth, and Ridiculous Goofs—all poems about friendship.
Below is my favorite of the bunch, and what more loyal friendship is there than a boy and his dog’s. For this one, my dog Ty, helped with the inspiration, as she’s constantly chasing squirrels and racing about. She has so much more energy than me. The poem is also a villanelle, which is my favorite form. The sing-songy feel of the repeating lines plays into the happy, mindless joy a boy and his dog have simply playing together. 