Owners of a Jack Russel terrier were ordered by Tisbury selectmen to keep their dog leashed and muzzled outside of his home because of a complaint.
He shows me the way
A boy in a dog suit
On a scent
Innocent
His marble-sized eyes
Soft brown nougats
Warm Black Crow centers
Anchored in opposing tear drops
At rest
Lying sideways
Between the weight of the world
And a profound sense of loss
He has seen it all
And regrets most of it
Eyes rimmed as if with kohl
It’s a look, a look that cannot be denied
You want to give him everything
You will give him anything,
Anything that will make his tongue come out
And swipe his snout
Or make him sweep the floor with his tail
Call his name
Tell him he’s good
Ask him if he wants food
Ask him if he wants a ride
Tell him Mommy’s coming
Tell him anyone’s coming
For God’s sake just say hello
As Quixote upon seeing a windmill,
He tilts his head
He pumps an eyebrow
He’s ready to follow you
To the ends of the earth or the driveway,
Whichever comes first.
“Mommy, why is that doggie so sad?”
The little girl pumps her mother’s hand,
Her finger wags at Floyd
“He can’t help it,” I say in a sing-song way.
“His eyes are shaped like sadness.
His brows slope down,
Like a seesaw always down.
He always looks this way,
Even when he’s happy
And he’s always happy.
Isn’t that right, Floyd?”
Tilt
Pump
Lick
Wag
Giggle
The little girl runs over and hugs Floyd,
Squeezing his scruff with arms of grace in training.
He looks at me as if to say,
“Is this the ends of the earth or the driveway?”
I need to point out some contradictions that exist on the Island regarding dogs. A letter to the editor on July 19 about dogs on the beach generalized dog owners as “idiots” and “irresponsible.” This I take issue with as I would never act in the way the Walkers describe their beach and dog situation. Right underneath this exhortation is a sensitive story written by Peter Robb about his love for his dog, Lucca, and the kind loving act of adopting dogs. Quite a contrast.
There are some persisting myths about the Vineyard — such as the notion that this is an easy place to ride a bicycle, that all Islanders know a ketch from a yawl, grow their own tomatoes, think nothing of picking up hitchhikers or picking off ticks, and most important, own at the very least one dog. Maybe two.
And that last one is the truest. Island dogs are omnipresent — and that doesn’t include the little pups that get carried around in summer purses like fluffy accessories.
Here comes another dog story but who doesn’t love dogs? I want to tell you about Lucca who died in early June. She was a Siberian Husky that we adopted on a cold, snowy Super Bowl Sunday back in 2010. We were never sure of her actual birthday so we celebrated before the football game.
There’s a special town meeting coming up for West Tisbury, on Tuesday June 5. It seems to be generating some confusion about the dog situation on Lambert’s Cove Beach. It would be great if no time were wasted at the town meeting clearing up the confusion, so I would like to politely offer clarity on three particular points here.