image from pinterest.com
Sturmtruppen
“You can look at my palm and see
storm coming.”--Mary J. Blige
S T O R M (Y)
warning,
twisters on the horizon--
worthy,
ship-shape,
sturdy as hell--
trooper,
die Kreigskunst--
assault
the battlements--
disposition.
like a dark cloud
hovering
over her head--
nearest port,
behind a sea wall,
at liberty--
my favorite mutt,
a homeless collie
that killed chickens.
Glenn Buttkus
Posted over at dVerse Poets Pub Q44
FANTASTIC quote, and a gorgeous piece.
ReplyDeleteThe last dog I had also killed chickens. I should have kept those chickens caged. Nice quote from Blige as well.
ReplyDeleteA delightful read. Greetings.
ReplyDeleteJohnny Cash lamented the egg sucking dog. I guess that's one worse. The Viking part is interesting too
ReplyDeleteSo, the dog killed the chickens?
ReplyDeleteThe Art of War (Warfare, a far less glorious word)
Cloud over the dog, why? It is a "She"?
Why the German.
So many questions.
Okay---I had to do some research on this one. Sturmtruppen - looks like storm troopers - actually specialized German soldiers from WWI with infiltration tactics. And then it falls into place, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteWe have so many storms that infiltrate, in so many eras, times of our lives. The monumental -- as with destructive tornadoes that infiltrate the clouds, our fields, nature; die Kriegskunst: tactical infiltration rules in miniature war games--for sport, to release testosterone or our base instincts within a safe gaming cyberspace; to a bad disposition that rides rule over someone (that dark cloud waiting to erupt and wreak havoc); to the rescue dog we take in who once (and may still have that instinct) killed live animals, cornering them in pens. Base instincts, storms, stormy in their wakes left behind. Layers and layers of meaning here. Forgive me if I'm reading beyond your intentions -- but that's what a good writer does sometimes - creates the jumping off place. And you have certainly done that!
Wow! How you've taken the prompt to unfold the story of German Stormtroopers with a hilarious effect. I love the comic vein. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI think we have them all around.. and the homeless dog killing chickens can work in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteYour colour of your Quadrille is metallic grey, Glenn, and it has the ring of metal, the taste of 'twisters on the horizon' - I love the way you describe it as a U-boot (ship-shape) or possibly a tank. The homeless collie is a curve ball!
ReplyDeleteA fellow poet talks about "felt meaning." That's what I find here, Glenn -- fragments that somehow fit into whole cloth. Well done.
ReplyDeleteI never could have guess at this comic ending Glenn ~ Cheers for this unique response~
ReplyDeleteEpic. Deeply emotive. I love that the dog is not perfect (who is?).
ReplyDeleteBravo! For your clever quadrille...not the dog's misdirected instincts.
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely incredibly penned! The ending took me by surprise!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your exploration of storm(y) including the dog who lived up to his name.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I read the rest of the comments, but am no further oriented, but I wager that you (the writer), knows exactly what he was alluding too. Fun images. I just wished I shared in more of the secrets.
ReplyDeleteGlenn, you commented on my blog that New Age has ancient pre-religion wisdom. My poem, if you'd read further, is based on the poem of another, so without it, is sort of meaningly. The link is supplied. Only one reader clicked it, of course.