my puppy

she's old now
my puppy

even after 15 years
she is still
my puppy

whiter head
slower walk
hearing going
sight going
gall bladder going

but

when i look at the love
that still shines from her eyes
and see the excitement
when i come home

i know this sick, old dog
will always be

my puppy

©2009-Art Belliveau

self pity senryu

heavy as lead weights
sinking those nearest to me
i hate depressions

©2009-Art Belliveau

Villanelle--Chaste Behavior's Overrated

Chaste behavior’s overrated.
It just won’t work for everyone.
Being naughty’s much more fun.

Many of the girls I dated.
Agreed with me and we had fun.
Chaste behavior’s overrated.

When we parted, we were sated,
After all was said--and done.
Being naughty’s much more fun.

But through the years, I grew too jaded;
Tired of not having that special One.
Chaste behavior’s overrated?

No longer did I feel elated,
Always moving to the next one.
Being naughty’s much more fun?

Now I’m settled down and mated.
With that old advice I’m done:
Chaste behavior’s overrated;
Being naughty’s much more fun.

©2009-Art Belliveau

charlie brown's teacher 12/08/09

i've always envied
charlie brown's teacher
she sits (or stands
she is never seen, so who knows?)
her voice blares in her
"wha wha whaaaaa"
unintelligible to me
but always clearly understood
by those in her class

where can i get
communication skills
like that?

©2009-Art Belliveau

Too Many Voices

I’m trying to write from
      my heart today--
The only trouble with that is
      my heart isn’t speaking to me
As I listen for it
      I notice other voices chiming in
My appendix has its opinions
      but, mostly, they are redundant
My spleen (of course) wants to vent
      and spew its bile all over the place
My colon tried to unload, too
      but I think it should not be (seen or) heard
My brain has too much going on
      the different voices cancel out
So, since my heart (apparently) won’t talk today
      I think I’ll have to wait and
Write that poem tomorrow

©2009-Art Belliveau

yucky senryu

my stomach’s roiling
i’m afraid it will explode
that would be messy

©2009-Art Belliveau

senryu 12/07/09

sitting in class, bored
i’ve seen it all already
teachers have it rough

©2009-Art Belliveau

lethargy senryu

like a giant snake
lethargy coils around me
squeezing me to death

©2009-Art Belliveau

a senryu for Pearl Harbor Day

day of infamy
a cowardly attack that
launched US into war

©2009-Art Belliveau

near-sighted

looking into the future
myopically (of course)
never seeing as far ahead
as i think i should be able to
i’ve noticed though--
the past is just as blurry
when i look there

©2009-Art Belliveau