Dog Days

Recuerdo a mi perrito maltes

"copete", "copete"
te metiste en el soquete
llegaste a mi casa
con agua llene tu taza
con baño y espuma
al salir la luna
cortando tu pelusa
parecias medusa
te pintaba verde y azul
contento estabas tu
"where were you?"
aullabas cuando regresaba
corrias ladrando
con tu osito verde jugando
dormias en mi cama
y la llenabas de lana
tu sacabas a mi papa a caminar
pero yo te paseaba a rodear
papitas comias
de McDonald's, y sonreias
te pusiste malito
senti haber cometido un delito
cinco años en la casa
parecias de pelusa y masa
mi angel del cielo
te enterraron en el suelo
mi perrito cariñoso
siempre veo tu foto...
sonriendo con tu oso.

Chevalterre Nabil
23 agosto 08

Un trio de perros

"pow-pow" y "aza"
acostaditos bajo el kiosko
Y no les hables...
que se alborotan!
Uno chilla,
otro mea
uno huye
el otro te escucha
uno destroza
el otro se rinde
uno morenito
el otro blanquito
los dos hermanos
gemelos opuestos
complices peludos
juguetones y peleoneros
... pero luego
pobrecito "penny"
grandote y bonito
dulce y gentil
solito en el rincon?
nepas!
hablale y veras
que se cree chiquito tambien
brincando... revolcandose
mientras los dos chiquillos
se trepan sobre el grandote
consintiendose de tus cariños.

Chevalterre Nabil
23 agosto 08

About "ducky"

There we were, under the scorching Arizona sun. My dad and I, hand in hand. I was four, maybe five. My brothers beside us. Dad pointed and asked us to pick. The first one I saw of a litter of five. Focused I was on nothing else around. That little German Shepard, like me: dark and brown. There are pictures of me and my buddy. I named him "ducky". I don't know why, but we were a match. Growing -- slender and long. Nine years we had him in the family, until parvo hit. But I won't dare get into that... don't dare taint his memory. Ducky!

Chevalterre Nabil
23 Aug. 08

"duque II"

There he was, an adorable creature. Light colored German Shepard. It's one of the family's favored breeds. In my teens I was, on weekends crossing the border. As I've mentioned before, this I did for a living. To do hotel and motel laundry in my grandparents' backyard "lavanderia" with our family friend, Miguel.
In the morning, I cleaned the house. I especially enjoyed the cheap, little dog statues integrated with the immediate family portraits. All of grandma's dogs were family too. She loved naming them "duque" or "duquina", as to call them duke or dutchess. Though dutchess is "duquesa". Anywho, "duque" the second, or was he the third, would accompany me...
After I'd cleaned, we'd have a long lunch break. I'd practice my recorder just to play something. The organ was broken, and I'd started a trend of leaving the violin at home. And as I was playing in the middle bedroom, Grandma calls me over to the kitchen. I heard the dog making a strange noise. He wasn't in pain. No. He was accompanying me. A fun little show.
While Grandpa and Miguel delivered Saturday's laundry and brought in Sunday's before I'd go in to wash: The "'duque' and Karla show" would go on for our one-lady audience. Me on my recorder, and the dog on vocals.

Chevalterre Nabil
23 Aug. 08