In our youth, we’re given to wild rambles,
coming home with burrs and brambles
to share on carpets and on towels
that prompt our family’s shrieks and howls.
These thrills we find in fields and ditches
well worth sharp things brought home on britches.
I must admit that I had to sacrifice words to meet the demands of the Quadrille, but I can’t resist sharing my first longer (against the rules) version as well. Here it is:
Rambles
When I was lithe and limber and given to wild rambles,
I came home from my wanderings complete with burrs and brambles.
I shed them on the carpets, I shared them via towels,
never taking credit for the curses, shrieks and howls.
I thought my meanderings among the fields and ditches
were worth the sacrifice of things brought in on my britches.
For dVerse Poets Quadrille Challenge: Bramble.
The first time I had my Afghan Hound shaved was when he came home from a very LONG ramble through woods and golf courses, COVERED it burrs. There was NO way to get them all out of his long, silky coat … and he was a BIG dog. I came to seriously believe in shaving them down. Because taking out the burrs one at a time is awful.
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Morrie got his own off by rolling in the grass. I got that one branch off, but the rest? It was impossible.
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Love both versions.
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‘towels’ and ‘howls’ is such a fine rhyme. And Morrie looks completely unrepentant. Laughing here.
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Nicely disciplined – almost 🙂
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I like both versions – and they work for dogs AND children.
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I like them both!
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Dogs will be dogs. I have a cat like that too…
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Both are great, and this tells a lot about of what I put up with daily; often in my bed sheets. Tami’s long fine hair is a bramble magnet, so the nightly “sticky pick” is a normal routine before she can get on my bed,,,,,However I always give her a treat for lying there still, while I do the chore. Then she learned that she could run back outside and roll in the grass for another quick infestation, she could then get another treat. You can’t win when your dog is smarter than you are.
While both appeal to me and will be among my memories, I like your quadrille best because it is less complex and appeals to my simple mind.
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HA…
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Love the second version. But where does Morrie go that he gets tangled in burrs — certainly not in your yard!
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Oops.. look at the comments again. I just explained it to someone. Let’s see if I can find it before you do.
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Oops, I lied. I answered it on Facebook, not here. This is what I said: This time he had an entire bush on him! They used to escape and go running up on the mountain. Diego is short-coated, but Morrie always brought souvenirs home with him.
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My house is on the highest street in my area and above me there is just mountains. We used to go walking up there so the dogs knew their way and sometimes went up without me. It was always obvious where they’d been!
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A great place to go walking — except when they make it obvious — haha! I hope they at least came home on their own, without your having to look for them!
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AHA! I’m not the only one who minds the restraints of the quadrille or the prosery. You pruned this one very well, but I like the longer version better!!
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Me, too. I always do it this way as if I have to count words as I go, it curbs the flow of ideas. This time it went way over, however. It’s a good mental exercise to condense, but doesn’t always make for the best poem.
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Love both the versions! 🍇💝
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I can totally relate to burr-bearing animals!
Both versions are excellent, but I like how the shorter one compacted it. It shows off your talent so well. It’s like Mark Twain apologizing for writing a long letter, because he didn’t have time to write a short one.
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I love that Twain quip as well.
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Mighty fine two-fers. Enjoyed both.
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Thanks, Bill.
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Of course. 🙂
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