Ferris Cook

A mixed - but delightful - bag of poems about dogs

"Bark" is a small collection of poems about dogs (there are 26 pieces, to be exact). While some of the poems are of the cute and cuddly variety that you'd find in gift books, others are more serious, tackling issues such as death, loss and grieving. All are beautiful, except for a few that are a bit disturbing; for instance, in "Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House", Billy Collins entertains thoughts of shooting his neighbor's noisy dog. Such vignettes are the exception, though, and the only reason I gave "Bark" 4 stars instead of 5. There are also very vivid and lifelike sketches throughout the book, adding to the poetry's allure.

My favorite poem? "Dachshund", by William Jay Smith - since my first dog was (and still is) a Doxie (and the sketch looks uncannily like him, wrinkles and all!):

The Dachshund leads a quiet life
Not far above the ground;
He takes an elongated wife,
They travel all around.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RPHHDNI1D3UDW/… (meer)