SavannaBel

For the Art of Dogs

Dog Music
by Paul Zimmer

Amongst dogs are listeners and singers.
My big dog sang with me so purely,
puckering her ruffled lips into an O,
beginning with small, swallowing sounds
like Coltrane musing, then rising to power
and resonance, gulping air to continue—
her passion and sense of flawless form—
singing not with me, but for the art of dogs.
We joined in many fine songs—”Stardust,”
“Naima,” “The Trout,” “My Rosary,” “Perdido.”
She was a great master and died young,
leaving me with unrelieved grief,
her talents known to only a few.

Mikey.
Mikey, the Bodhisattva.
Bibi, the wild child.
Bibi, the wild child.

Now I have a small dog who does not sing,
but listens with discernment, requiring
skill and spirit in my falsetto voice.
I sing her name and words of love
andante, con brio, vivace, adagio.
Sometimes she is so moved she turns
to place a paw across her snout,
closes her eyes, sighing like a girl
I held and danced with years ago.

Gypgyp, the fun police.
Gypgyp, the fun police.
Jackie, the needy one.
Jackie, the needy one.
But I am a pretender to dog music.
The true strains rise only from
the rich, red chambers of a canine heart,
these melodies best when the moon is up,
listeners and singers together or
apart, beyond friendship and anger,
far from any human imposter—
ballads of long nights lifting
to starlight, songs of bones, turds,
conquests, hunts, smells, rankings,

things settled long before our birth.

Frankie, the dog in disguise.
Frankie, the dog in disguise.
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Annabel Hughes Aston is a writer and an award-winning chef in Livingstone, Zambia. She is the creator of "bush gourmet" cuisine.

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14 Comments

  • birdwoodsgallery February 10, 2015

    Woof woof!!

    • savannabel February 10, 2015

      Are you trying to tell me something, Louise, or is it Archie speaking?

  • Dee Slater February 10, 2015

    Annabel those are excellent photos … and is Mikey singing?!
    The Bodhisattva is still with us ,,,?
    So many stories attached to each of those Livingstone Tobacco Farm personalities …!
    …. love this blog!

    • savannabel February 10, 2015

      Thank you, Dee! The Bodhisattva is still with us, to be sure, but he is groaning, not singing. He HATES his photograph being taken!

  • chitaiti February 10, 2015

    Beautiful poem and really stunning pics of your “family”

    • savannabel February 10, 2015

      Thank you so much for your lovely comment. We LOVE our family!

  • Helen Pickard February 10, 2015

    Thanks for sharing Annabel. So good to see the old kids on the block looking so good. And the new ones too. The beginnings of a very talented Livingstone a cappella ensemble. xxx

    • savannabel February 10, 2015

      Haha, Hellie … with Gypgyp bossing everyone up as they go along! Lots of love to you … xo

  • Dal Bailey February 10, 2015

    I think ‘uplifted’ is the nearest word that comes to me after reading this and and surely my heart is singing along with those beautiful dogs.

    • savannabel February 10, 2015

      What a lovely comment, Dal, thank you. Where would we be without our four-legged friends? All the best to you … Annabel

  • Helen February 10, 2015

    Thanks for sharing, dear Annabel – lovely poem and excellent pictures of your “dogs”. Always so refreshing to see and read about your blissful life under sunny, African skies. We cherish the memories of our farm dogs and remember all “the great characters” you had on Galloway – especially Bodger! Much love from us xx

    • savannabel February 11, 2015

      Thank you, Helen. So lovely to hear from you … one of my truly favourite people on the planet. Doggies have always been an integral part of our lives, especially in Africa. Lots of love to you and Jeff … xo

  • Colin February 10, 2015

    Annabel What a fine looking family you have! But remember, we are forever related through our children. Our Jed, who doesn’t sing but is a great listener, is surely the same family as Jackie, and Nina, who has been described as the best looking b….., no, I can’t bring myself to say it, the best looking girl this side of the Zambezi is surely the daughter of Mikey and probably the half sister to your wild child who may yet embarrass your family by becoming engaged to the wrong sort of people altogether. You’ll have to watch her and her wayward behaviour!

    • savannabel February 11, 2015

      Thank you for your lovely comment, Colin! 🙂 You made me laugh!

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