Woof! Riley, Poetry Contest Mascot, Writes Doggerel Slam Poetry

By Guest Blogger Riley, ACE Poetry Contest Mascot, assisted by Martha Sessums

Woof! Thought I’d try my paw at writing a poem, and it’s a slam poem. I call it doggerel slam, ‘cause I’m a dog writing slam poetry. Gotta keep up with my friends at Alpha Public Schools and other ACE Partner Schools who write messages with their thumbs and drink their energy.

They’re all busy learning poetry styles and rhythms and writing their poems for the contest. They’re gonna receive $$ if they’re one of the winners. Whoo hoo! How cool is that.

Also cool is this Thursday, April 30. It’s Poem in Your Pocket Day, the day when you carry your favorite poems in your pocket and read them to friends and even strangers. Just share the poetry. Or tweet it with hashtag #pocketpoem.

And don’t forget treats for me, Riley. Speaking of treats, here’s my doggerel slam poem.

Go For What You Want
By Riley, The Dog

When I find something I want, I go for it with a passion that can’t be stopped. In fact, I’m often told “no” and my collar is jerked, but my eyes stay forward and focused on what I want.

It may be locked in a jar or hidden in a bag, but I can smell it. And if I smell it, I can taste it. I taste it in my mind’s eye, on my nose’s tip, with my ear’s hear, with my paw’s touch, with my tongue’s lick, with the assurance and confidence that the treat is mine.

Oh, I know I gotta work for it, ‘cause it never comes easy. Sometimes it comes with a whine, which stops ‘em on the dime, but it must be the right whine that lets ‘em know that I’ve been good and deserve this treat.

But there’s times when it’s not that easy cause there’s no one ‘round to charm and I have to do some harm to get into the box of crackers, or steal the bite of beef that’s been calling from the kitchen where it’s been brining in a bag with spices and juices and just calling and calling and calling.

And then there’s the tough ones, like the jar of Nutella mocking from the table, sitting next to the knife blooming with just a smear of almond goodness that teased and teased until I had to jump and grab the jar and chew through the tough plastic wall to the almond chocolaty goo and spend hours licking till the jar was empty and my tummy felt fine.

I know what you’re thinking, that I’m just a dog, and it’s what furry ones do ‘cause it’s our nature to go after treats, but for me it’s more than that, cause I’ve had doors slammed in my face, and been told I can’t go there, or do there, that I wasn’t good enough there, that I didn’t deserve there, that I couldn’t have there cause I was a fuzzy dog with fur in his eyes, when all I want to do is be in a place that will let me be me, let me work hard to be me – a dog who likes his treats.

Hope you enjoyed the poem. Let me know your thoughts about it. I don’t bite.

Treat yourself to a poem.
Riley