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gillyruless · 06-28-2005, 06:29 AM

One of the great things about being human is that we have the capacity to feel. Truly to be moved by something to tears, to laughter, to somber consciousness, is to be human. So here's thread designed to hold things/events/people that have moved us. As with the Beautiful Things thread, I want to have this thread work so I ask every one who posts on it to be serious.

I will go first.

I remember having a debate with a friend of mine regarding the validity of John Updike as a serious author. John Updike happens to be one of my favorite authors so I argued that he is one of the greatest American authors of all time. My friend argued that many of his novels, especially Centaur, are written in an intentionally obtuse, and confusing way so that it's impossible for her to follow and the personalize the characters and events contained in them. She did have a point. Some of John Updike's novels can be a challenge to read. I have much trouble reading Centaur. I often have to read sentences and paragraphs several times to make sense out of them. Since I am a bastard who hates losing (although a part of me was agreeing with my friend), I brought out my big weapon. This is a weapon so potent that I only bring it out when I absolutely have to.

The weapon I am talking about is a poem titled Dog's Death. Most people know John Updike as a novelist but he happens to be an accomplished poet as well. Dog's Death was the first English poem that I managed to memorize from start to finish. It might not be the best poem ever written, heck, I don't think it's even the best John Updike poem, but it packs such an emotional punch that every time I read it it moved me to tears. Heck, my eyes are getting teary right now typing this up. So here's something that moves me to tears: John Updike's poem, Dog's Death.

Dog's Death

She must have been kicked unseen or brushed by a car.
Too young to know much, she was beginning to learn
To use the newspapers spread on the kitchen floor
And to win, wetting there, the words, "Good dog!
Good dog!"

We thought her shy malaise was a shot reaction.
The autopsy disclosed a rupture in her liver.
As we teased her with play, blood was filling her skin
And her heart was learning to lie down forever.

Monday morning, as the children were noisily fed
And sent to school, she crawled beneath the youngest's bed.
We found her twisted and limp but still alive.
In the car to the vet's, on my lap, she tried

To bite my hand and died. I stroked her warm fur
And my wife called in a voice imperious with tears.
Though surrounded by love that would have upheld her,
Nevertheless she sank and, stiffening, disappeared.

Back home, we found that in the night her frame,
Drawing near to dissolution, had endured the shame
Of diarrhoea and had dragged across the floor
To a newspaper carelessly left there. Good dog.

06-28-2005, 06:29 AM	#1
gillyruless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,022	To be moved is to be human ... One of the great things about being human is that we have the capacity to feel. Truly to be moved by something to tears, to laughter, to somber consciousness, is to be human. So here's thread designed to hold things/events/people that have moved us. As with the Beautiful Things thread, I want to have this thread work so I ask every one who posts on it to be serious. I will go first. I remember having a debate with a friend of mine regarding the validity of John Updike as a serious author. John Updike happens to be one of my favorite authors so I argued that he is one of the greatest American authors of all time. My friend argued that many of his novels, especially Centaur, are written in an intentionally obtuse, and confusing way so that it's impossible for her to follow and the personalize the characters and events contained in them. She did have a point. Some of John Updike's novels can be a challenge to read. I have much trouble reading Centaur. I often have to read sentences and paragraphs several times to make sense out of them. Since I am a bastard who hates losing (although a part of me was agreeing with my friend), I brought out my big weapon. This is a weapon so potent that I only bring it out when I absolutely have to. The weapon I am talking about is a poem titled Dog's Death. Most people know John Updike as a novelist but he happens to be an accomplished poet as well. Dog's Death was the first English poem that I managed to memorize from start to finish. It might not be the best poem ever written, heck, I don't think it's even the best John Updike poem, but it packs such an emotional punch that every time I read it it moved me to tears. Heck, my eyes are getting teary right now typing this up. So here's something that moves me to tears: John Updike's poem, Dog's Death. Dog's Death She must have been kicked unseen or brushed by a car. Too young to know much, she was beginning to learn To use the newspapers spread on the kitchen floor And to win, wetting there, the words, "Good dog! Good dog!" We thought her shy malaise was a shot reaction. The autopsy disclosed a rupture in her liver. As we teased her with play, blood was filling her skin And her heart was learning to lie down forever. Monday morning, as the children were noisily fed And sent to school, she crawled beneath the youngest's bed. We found her twisted and limp but still alive. In the car to the vet's, on my lap, she tried To bite my hand and died. I stroked her warm fur And my wife called in a voice imperious with tears. Though surrounded by love that would have upheld her, Nevertheless she sank and, stiffening, disappeared. Back home, we found that in the night her frame, Drawing near to dissolution, had endured the shame Of diarrhoea and had dragged across the floor To a newspaper carelessly left there. Good dog.