PET SHOUT OUTS&

POEMS

Pet Shout Outs & Poems

1

acknowledgements

PET SHOUT OUTS & POEMSa Ten Penny Players publication

Sunday, October 28, 2007Silver Lake Reservoir Dogs’ celebration held at the dog run.

Selections posted on the Internet at 2 urls- http://www.tenpennyplayers.org http://slreservoirdogs.com

Pet Shout Outs and drawings by PS 25 students.Our thanks to their teachers.

Ten Penny Players work in Staten Island schoolsis supported in part by

the NYS Council on the Arts and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.

All rights revert to the authors.©2007 Ten Penny Players, Inc. 2

.SHOUT OUTS

Quantall 4Kalista 4Nhi-Avialo 5Devin 6Luis 7Zhane 8Marley 9Eddie 10James 11Kareem 12Nikye 13

& POEMS

Marguerite Maria Rivas 15-17Joan Payne Kincaid 18Joanne Seltzer 19-20Eliana Garcia 21-22Alexandre Saint-Francis Cohen 23

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Quantall

Rocky’s nice to play with.He presses the tv button with his paw.I love my dogs.I feed them.My dogs, Rocky and ShaSha, fight.They go to sleep.

Kalista

I love my catMy cat is my favorite petIn the whole world

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Nhi-Avialo

The cat I want is yellow,a boy, and shortI will take him outsideI will play with himI will feed himHe goes to sleepHis name is StanleyI go outside with my mommyI love my momMom has a baby brother for me

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Devin

My frog is Fat, Crazy, Big

Ugly, Dumb, FastPicky, White, Slimy

& Slippery.

When food comes he is picky.He sleeps with his eyes open.He attacks the goldfish to protect his food.

6

Luis Coco

My dog is cute and her name is Coco,Her nickname is Co. She protects me and my brother until my step dad getshome. She looks like a black bear.Coco is a blanket during the winter.Coco is fat and lazy.She is a girl and she is cuteHer name is Coco.

7

ZhaneMy Goldfish

All of my fish looked silly when they were playing with each otheraround the tank.Sometimes they biteach other’s tail, and sometimes they swamfaster than other fish.

8

Marley

I have two lizards. Their names are Gumdrop

and Lollipop.They are so cool.They are jumpy.They are funny, too.When you feel the lizard’s skin,it feels soft as a pillow.I love my lizards.

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Eddie

My dogs are fastand crazy, mad, furry, and sometimes mad lazy.I love my dogs.My dogs are eating machines.We love them.Their names are Coco and Grammy.I take care of them.I will not let them get hurt or stolen.They are a golden retriever

and a black lab.

10

James My Fat and Lazy Cat

My cat lives with my dad.My cat eats too much, but she is cute.My cat is a sleeping machine.She is so lazy.My cat’s name is Bailey.

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James’ DogBoy DogBlack JumpyBaby

James’ CatCat GirlFat LazyCute Black

KareemMy Cat’s Home

My cats are very poor.I have built them their own home.Every day I give them 3 cans of cat foodI have to protect them from danger.My cat has a broken arm and leg.But just because she has an injury doesn’t mean you can’t take care of her.

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NikyeMy Cat -

My cat is cute.He makes me feel happy.He’s white with a black chest.He’s furry like a beast.I give my cat food.My cat’s name is Parrot.

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Poems

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Marguerite Maria RivasLoner Whistling for your Dog

Loner whistling for your dog,don’t you know the musked air callsboth creatures low and highbrow?Fireflies signal lamping looks,distract me from my careworn books,enchant the heart to ponder thesemore rutting, howling rites of spring.

Loner whistling for your pal,she’s gone the way of weary wivesand worm-sick apples o’er ripeto dream the nightmare vernalwhere heavy fruit hangs pendulousbut she’s forbidden to pluck it sweet,for underneath its red skin, taut,mealy, brown flesh bruises.

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Loner whistling for your dog,today the cool air beckons her,and she, uncaring, fearless roamsthe streets in search of heart’s blood richto subsume the obviousand then eschew all sentiment.Called to roaming, rolling, rutting,she and I are element.

16

Marguerite Maria RivasO Honey Cat

1986-2002

O honey cat, you can drip drop that purr ooze onto my covers.Sweet Stria, sleep, nap-catwhile I click clack poetry beside you

You’ve survived homelessnessóbasement dweller smelling like heating oil.

O most forbearant cat!You’ve hopped and scratchedthe life out of the new couch.

O most beauteous feline, fierceyet fearful, you burrow undermy armpit in a thunderstorm.

Sweet Stria, purring past the lastleg of her diseaseómy last linkto an old, old, life and spring’s amnesia.

O most noble ears! Most velvet fur!Behind your dull cataracts, I seethe lamping eyes of Isis.

17

Joan Payne KincaidObedience Re-do

She wants brown monkey and a chew stick

in back of me on the puter chair

tri color Parson Jack Russell

from a long walk and obedience class

where the substitute teacher tried to drag her

on a metal choker until she yelped and I said enough

and then in a corner she got tangled

on an “about turn” and I fell like a stone

nearly landing on her but being a Russell she’s used

to barns and horses so was way ahead of it;

never again some stupid heel command on a metal

choke and never forgive the guy for doing

such to a four month old pup who was doing her best.

18

Joanne SeltzerSnoopyesque

Forgive me, God,for I have covetedmy neighbor’s dog,

fed her word-pap,coaxed in to my bedof whimsical dreams.

She’s a cartoonthat barks and licks facesand sits on command

and floats thought-balloonsfilled with puppy talkin translation

as if she will staynine weeks old forevernever to know pain

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or self-inducedanxiety, neverto be put to sleep.

Do I praise false godsby stroking a beagle’sblack-patched white back?

Isn’t love preciouswherever it blossoms?Isn’t life comic?

20

Eliana GarciaCalvin

In memory of my dog Calvin.

Beautiful brown eyesthat reflected your gentle soul.White blaze on your foreheadthat matched your white paws.Soft, silky, white and golden furTail constantly waggingPouncing on your dinosaurRunning around the living roomwith your bone in a game of tag,then stretching out like a “rug” on the floorDemanding that we all pay attention to youwith your loud barks that could not be ignored.Dancing, walking and delicately balancing

on your hind legslike an acrobat in your never ending quest

for food.Pawing at your bowl spilling its contents,

staring at uswith your large expressive eyesas you demanded edible food and clean water. 21

Licking your paws and bathing yourself like a catSleeping on your back, or curled up peacefully

in someone’s lapYou were happiest just spending time

with your family.You had a loving, loyal and playful nature.A puppy with many names, your stubbornness

and persistenceearned you the affectionate nicknames:

“Peste” and “Napoleon.”\Your eating habits earned you the name

“Piggy” or “chanchito,”And your sweet disposition earned you

the names dearest to my heart:“chiquitito, baby puppy, and Pootie.”Never angry or resentful, you were always happy

and ready to play.You won a place in many people’s hearts.I love you Pootie! You will always be with me:

in my memories and my heart.

22

Alexandre Saint-Francis CohenMy Dog Summer

Summer runs on the “steppes” of Snug Harbor.The summer season has left us,but Summer, my dog, stays faithful as ever...Loves to run and play near Neptune’s fountainevery morning from 7 to 9picking up horse chestnutsI throw to her like discarded old shoes.”Get it!” I yell,as she careens over 20 yards of still-green grass.Summer’s a blue-tick coon hound.She runs like a greyhound gazelle,still young.So I’ll have her for many winters,many autumns,many springs,and many summers.

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FEATURED PETS

cover: Chewbacca & Wheezerpage 1 Buddy, Jake, Xanadu, Gawainpage 14 Cú Chulainnpage 16 Jackpage 20 Baxter & Angiepage 24 Sammy, Jack, Zuzu, Chewbacca,Butch, Henry

photos by Barbara Fisher

A Ten Penny Players Publication