Nice Max!
"neither wild nor passive" - just like the kitten I chose as a boy, from a litter of 4 or 5 that a stray Russian Blue gave birth to under a hydrangea bush (my father drowned the others). I never really thought about the gravity of the decision at the time. Not the most exuberant one, but the most intelligent-looking one, with the biggest eyes. And Kaspar turned out to be the greatest pet I've ever owned or will own - would walk in step with me to the shop, waiting at each road we had to cross, and fall asleep nuzzling my ears. Later I left home and suddenly my terrible childhood asthma cleared up - it turned out I was allergic to cat fur.
Brian
--- On Wed, 14/4/10, Max Richards <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
From: Max Richards <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: snaps: the whelps
To: [log in to unmask]
Received: Wednesday, 14 April, 2010, 7:08 PM
Snaps: the Whelps
(Newstead near Castlemaine, Vic.)
This shows our feet under siege from ten
five-week-old blond Labrador puppies:
while their mother takes a breather
from giving them suck around the clock
they swarm quietly over our boots
chewing laces and leather edges.
2
This is how the mother stands just
like the wolf suckling Romulus and Remus
while not two but ten babies reach
over each other for eight milky dugs.
3
Here, separated from their sisters,
are the five male pups, all-in wrestling.
And these are the girl pups not quite
so boisterous, tumbling about.
4
This is the breeder, handing one pup
to my wife to carry, and bundling
four into the old shopping trundler
which we follow to the whelping room.
5
She wonders which pup my wife will fancy.
What a choice! All perfect blondes
with cute dark eyes, soft bodies,
each in turn snuggling into her shoulder.
6
This is the chosen one, neither wild
nor passive, and with bigger eyes.
7
This is my wife, bonding, tearful
at having to reject four lovable ones.
And me, committing, resigned,
to serve one more life sentence.
Max Richards
now back home
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