Water Dogs: Poetry in Motion

Hey Gang,

I think those of you that read my piece on spotlighting know that I'm not one to shy away from the tough questions and moral dilemmas of our day. But just because a guy spends most of his time writing hard-hitting thought pieces doesn't mean he can't unwind and write a little poetry. Right?!

So that's what I've done for today. This will be the first of an irregularly published series called: "Water Dogs: Poetry in Motion". Every so often I'll pick one of my favorite water dog breeds - I own nine different ones! - and write a little poetic appreciation of said breed. Now, keep in mind, I never said I was William Carlos Williams. Just think of this as my humble attempt to convey my gratitude to some of my very best friends!

Today's Water Dog is: The Nova Scotian Duck Toller (pictured above is my NSDT, Cody, on his 6th birthday. Get more info on the breed at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotia_Duck-Tolling_Retriever)

Today's poem (originally written in 11/07 and scheduled to appear in the Spring '09 edition of "Water Dog Quarterly: Next Directions in Water Dog Scholarship"):

"For Cody, on Armistice Day"

Red-headed friend, you are no stranger to me.
And though I don't often say it,
I cherish the hours spent together, lakeside, in old Yarmouth County.
Your white-tipped tail wagging,
a beacon to our prey,
cutting the crisp fall air,
you call and they obey.
Nine years, now, together we have spent.
Sacrifices have been made, but none that I regret. With you, good sir, I have shed some tears and shared much laughter
and I'm proud to say that on this lakeside there are no servants or masters.

Well, that's it guys! I hope it wasn't too personal for your tastes. It's just that a good water dog is truly the outdoorsmen's best friend, and we're all outdoorsmen here, so I thought why not throw caution to the wind and let the vast readership of this fine blog get a sneak peak into the heart of one damned proud dog owner?

I'm off for now. Please keep reading Stuffed Pheasant for the latest in local music and outdoors-related content and remember to watch Kent Hrbek Outdoors this Sunday at 10:35pm on it's new home, Fox 9!

Until Next Time!

KHO Appreciator