Dog agility
Today it is weaving in and out of her moods
from whining about being tired
to this evenings existential
"I'm pointless. I don't believe in heaven and I'm a tiny scrap
in the universe
and pointless"
and self obssessed we both agree
A few days ago it was a tunnel
I ran through
as she has decided to read medicine
and will have to get 9A*s at GCSE
and give up some music or sport
that we have all worked hard at for years
Have you seen the fees
and the UKCAT test?
So many hurdles
I have still to jump
I whistle up my Father being patient
in the face of my
14 year old bitch
and sit
Comments
Leander42 | December 8, 2011 - 09:12
The dog handler / dog analogy to describe the relationship between narrator and teenage daughter works well a drew me along effortlessly.
On a picky note, the ending gave me some confusion. Are you the dog or the handler - because if you're the dog, you won't be able to whistle.
Regardless, this is another of your poems that I can empathise with - I have a daughter who is working for a Phd in clinical psychology so I'm not yet done with tunnels, seesaws, and weaving in and out of sticks.
camilla | December 8, 2011 - 10:39
You are quite right with the criticism. Handlers do "do the jumps too" though or at least some of it while one is learning with the dog, at the beginning. I suppose I was imagining joint enterprise. At least I hope your daughter has weathered the emotional storms of adolescence.
Leander42 | December 8, 2011 - 11:07
She has. But I've two flatcoat retrievers who haven't:-)