My niece’s dog has come to stay with us this week.
She used to be a hiker – the dog, not my niece.
My niece is still a hiker-extraordinaire.
But her dog tore an ACL and no longer makes the travel team.
She – the dog- is a freak. A ball freak.
And it’s EXHAUSTING.
We did not know there were 17 tennis balls in varying degrees of decomposition in our back-forty (forest behind our home).
She has found them all.
Now they are hidden behind the laundry room door.
And she knows it.
She cases the hallway when she’s not eating or sleeping. She can smell them.
She gets one hour per day with a ball.
For that one hour, her eyes glaze over.
The entire back end of her body, from stubbed tail to waistline, wags.
We throw it deep into the trees. It takes her 48 ½ seconds to find it.
She climbs tree branches to reach balls that don’t make it to the ground.
Over and over, she hunts down the ball. Lodged in a tree hollow. Buried in bushes. Beneath barbed buckthorn.
She hurries back to the deck.
Do it again! she pleads.
She doesn’t even care if it’s raining.
©draft, Patricia J. Franz
A Tanka for Finn
a tight sky groans gray
mottled blotches, bruised and black
clouds rumble-mumble
fat drip-drops, liquid thunder
throw the dang ball, barks the dog
…had no idea when I composed my poem that I would find this on Amazon:
Catherine at Reading to the Core has the round up for us this week!
Patricia Franz is a kidlit writer and published poet. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Patricia, this post is wonderful. There are two little dogs next door to me and one love to play ball. I am also intrigued at the energy it takes running back and forth to fetch a ball. You have explained this well in your poem. Your tanka is full of sensory elements. I can imagine that little children would love your poems.
Thank you, Carol. None of my own dogs have ever shown interest in balls. I used to think it would be fun; now, “be careful what you wish for!”
Ha! Love the Ball Freak. I had a ball freak…she’s passed. But, this poem brings it all back. Gosh, I loved that dog and groaned over how much she wanted and needed to play. I miss her.
My heart squeezes for you, Linda (I lost my sweet pup at 4 yrs old last fall); doesn’t matter how long ago, they carve a spot in our hearts!
What a determined and passionate dog! As a child we had a little black and white dog named Buster and your dog reminds me of her. Love the picture and poem.
I’ve never had a “ball dog” before – Finn belongs to my niece. Our dogs are “couch potato” dogs: they do as much or as little as asked! – lol
Patricia, you have captured the ball obsessive pooch with admirable clarity. It is somewhat like a personality profile. Strong visual imagery, supported by intimate factual detail, add to the strength of your poem. We, who are owned by dogs, salute your efforts.
Being owned by a dog: one of the great joys in my life! Thank you, Alan.
What fun, ah, for Finn! We once lived on a lake & a neighbor’s dog would jump in time after time for that “dang ball”, never wavering. I can see you needed to set a time limit! Fun, but not so fun for you.
Like many grandparents, I will not be unhappy when Finn’s mom returns!
Your poem paints such a vivid picture of your niece’s dog! She’s amazingly active for a dog with a previously torn ACL … I loved the concrete details in the poem – the ball hoard, the way her body wags excitedly, and how she climbs to the trees (!) to retrieve some of the balls.
Thanks for sharing this with us this week.
Seriously! I had a dog that tore an ACL and required surgery and quite a long rehab. Finn did only rehab and does not appear to be any the worse for wear!
Patricia, I love, love, love this poem! Aren’t pets wonderful! They all have quirks and your description of this dog as a ball freak is wonderful! I can picture it all as I read your words! I love how she knows where they are in the house too! Our lab loves to get balls too, but not as much as this doggo! Thanks for sharing!
She is like those velociraptors in the original Jurassic Park movie: she narrows down all the possibilities and then sits and waits for the moment that door opens.
I love the writing in your backstory as much as I like your tanka! Your exasperation and doggo’s enthusiasm written in those short punch sentences make it like a comedy routine…and it had me laughing out loud!
Thanks, Mary Lee. And thank you for the needle-craft poem/bookmark! Feels like I received two gifts in one 🙂
Your tanka about my niece’s dog made me laugh out loud! I love the “rumble-mumble” of the “liquid thunder.” My sister had a ball dog. She was relentless, but thunder would have stopped her!
Thank you, Catherine. I loved having Finn with us… and I loved saying good bye to her, too!