美国国家公共电台 NPR--What would Fido say about you? This community poem takes pets' point of view

What would Fido say about you? This community poem takes pets' point of view

Transcript²

We asked and your pets answered.

NPR poet-in-residence Kwame Alexander shares his latest community crowd sourced poem from pet owners around the country, from ages six to 86.

We heard from over 700 of you, sharing the words of what your pets might be thinking about you, their next meals, their next adventures, their next cuddles and more.

Read Alexander's poem, titled Dear Captor: You Talk, I Wonder.

Hi, My name is Larry Longshanks

And for my folks I give thanks.

My name is Leo and I am a dog

Once I was let outside to almost eat a frog

Fluffy³, the pre-school hamster

I am the 6th to bear the name.

I try to live my life with dignity and grace, resigned to my fate.

But some day, when one of them takes me home,

I swear I will make my escape.

It's dark and cold. I can hear the other prisoners barking.

I don't begrudge⁴ you that last trip to the vet⁵ four days ago.

The women fed me remarkable⁶ treats.

My needs are so few:

Food, water, toys, and outdoors

A clean litter box

I am a stinky dog.

I lick, jump, eat everything

I sniff⁷, I pee

I smell every tree

Who was here before

Sharp and soft in your residential⁸ jungle, dear captor, I listen to your whispering eyelash and your swishing pulse, but I hear beyond: scraping step of ladybug, a moth's powdery wing, delicate spider dances.

You talk, I wonder: Would you notice each sky if I weren't there to get you outside?

I can't tell you about my life before

Just as well, I don't want you to be sad

Despite her many clocks,

the woman forgot the hour constantly.

Always saying "It's not time yet" when clearly my bowl was empty, and I was perishing before her eyes.

Dad threatened to make me into a stew¹⁰; Then came back with carrot tops and treats anew;

And those boys were so loud

Always stomping¹¹ and screaming

We wished them to be quiet

So we could go back to dreaming

They got to eat biscuits and gravy¹²

All we ever got were dried flakes¹³

We'd love something more tasty

How 'bout¹ some potato pancakes?

Now, I am partnered with a foolish woman who doesn't understand that threats are everywhere.

She naively¹⁴ walks past dogs who might lunge up and rip into her throat. She ignores plastic bags dancing in the wind that can cover her face as she fights for breath.

She doesn't run very fast

She always hears the mailman last

And I don't think her sense of smell is working very well

She walks on clumsy feet, her head floats in the air,

She can't meow and has no fur and doesn't seem to care

that when she sings her nonsense words and baby-talks my name

I look at her politely then must close my eyes in shame

She calls me wiggle butt¹⁵.

And buggie.

And cuddle bug⁹.

Little one.

Love bug.

Herc-a-jerk.

Hercules.

At this point I just come to anything

Because it might mean food.

Or treats.

Or a walk.

Or cuddles.

Curled up like a doughnut,

I wait patiently for my family

I will spend my life keeping her safe. It is the burden I bear.

Once wild and free, now safe and sound

In a new home, joy and love have been found

Gone are the days of hunting and fear

Now, a life of comfort and cheer

Thank you, kind soul, for giving a chance

This lap-seeking, freaky-in-the best-way love pillow

Stands. Sits. Lies ready to serve you. I humbly¹⁶ suggest

That you toss aside your tiresome¹⁷ worries

Along with my worn-out tennis balls.

Come join me in a communal¹⁸ sofa-soft delight.

I'm here to listen to your every thought. Wish. Dream.

I am, however, worried, sometimes

That you have forgotten about dinner.

(I never forget about dinner.)

Today I won an apple for a prize

For jumping the best

Next I go back to my stall to rest

Eventually it's lunch time

My dinner is gone, oh, woe¹⁹ is me

I ate it all so greedily.

I yowl with grief, impossible to ignore

But my people will not give me more.

No crunchy kibble, no tasty bits

It's enough to give me fits.

When my water bowl is dry

I think that I will surely die –

But when mom pets my ears

I forget all my fears –

You're home! You're home!

You were gone, and I thought the wait would never end.

How long has it been —

A minute? An hour? A day? A week?

I gotta go; I gotta go; I gotta go

What is it about this he doesn't understand?

I am being clear here about my needs

Why doesn't he get the leash²⁰?

For 15 years you've given me such cozy²¹ nests.

Although I can no longer leap tall fences (or even get on the couch)

or bring late night comatose²² possums in to wake up on your rug,

I still love the days of warm sunshine and

Evenings where we gaze into each other's eyes

From my comfy orthopedic bed.

She says I'm an angel in fur coat

That I carry her heart in mine

I don't know what that means

What I do know is that

you loved me from the minute you rescued me

running away scares you to death ... but I cannot help it

I am full of sass and argumentative

Sponsor Message

your right arm is now longer than your left from five years of pulling on lead

I get overwhelmed with excitement when we have company

I cannot help myself when the resident squirrel runs our fence line

I am addicted²³ to butter

it makes you laugh when I come from behind, between your knees, and look up at you

you are happy and content when we are together

One day dear human I will write for you a tome.

For now you will have to make due with this poem.

You live for me and me alone.

HEY! Where's my bone?!?

Patricia Kessel, Portland, Ore.

Pranathi Srini, Tustin, Calif.

Noah Holmes, Aurora²⁴, Ohio

Heather Christianson, Sacramento, Calif.

Joanna Tapio, Chicago, Ill.

Elaina Hannigan, Corvallis, Ore.

Kim Bridgges, Richmond, Va.

Kimberly Whalen, Lakeville, Minn.

Jennifer Nunez, San Jose, Calif.

Judy Radlinsky, San Jose, Calif.

Margaret Bridges, Portland, Ore.

Betsy Shiroma, Ardsley, N.Y.

Jim Zeiger, Denver, Col.

David Bader, New York, N.Y.

Valerie Lim, Tucson, Ariz.

Harlan Shays, Raleigh, N.C.

Cecily Kiester, Wash.

Mary Rudzinski, Portland, Ore.

Stephanie Spencer, Vancouver, Wash.

Gregory Groth, Portsmouth, N.H.

Jan Crocker, Macon, Ga.

Carmen Kuziemsky, Buffalo²⁵, N.Y.

Claire Buttry, Longmont, Col.

Diane Peters-Nguyen, Kailua, Hawaii

Andy Lange, Overland Park, Kan.

Serene²⁶ Dougan, Fairview, Ore.

Mary Alison Leatart, Bend, Ore.

Brook²⁷ Rajnowski, Fort Collins, Col.

Joyce Cheng, Hillsboro, Ore.

Linda Muhlhausen, Middletown, N.J.

Theresa Norman, Edinburg, Texas

1 bout   

n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛

参考例句：

• I was suffering with a bout of nerves.我感到一阵紧张。
• That bout of pneumonia enfeebled her.那次肺炎的发作使她虚弱了。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

4 begrudge   

vt.吝啬，羡慕

参考例句：

• I begrudge spending so much money on train fares.我舍不得把这么多钱花在火车票上。
• We should not begrudge our neighbour's richness.我们不应该嫉妒邻人的富有。

5 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

7 sniff   

vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视

参考例句：

• The police used dogs to sniff out the criminals in their hiding - place.警察使用警犬查出了罪犯的藏身地点。
• When Munchie meets a dog on the beach, they sniff each other for a while.当麦奇在海滩上碰到另一条狗的时候，他们会彼此嗅一会儿。

8 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

9 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

10 stew   

n.炖汤，焖，烦恼；v.炖汤，焖，忧虑

参考例句：

• The stew must be boiled up before serving.炖肉必须煮熟才能上桌。
• There's no need to get in a stew.没有必要烦恼。

11 stomping   

v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He looked funny stomping round the dance floor. 他在舞池里跺着舞步，样子很可笑。 来自辞典例句
• Chelsea substitution Wright-Phillips for Robben. Wrighty back on his old stomping to a mixed reception. 77分–切尔西换人：赖特．菲利普斯入替罗本。小赖特在主场球迷混杂的欢迎下，重返他的老地方。 来自互联网

12 gravy   

n.肉汁；轻易得来的钱，外快

参考例句：

• You have spilled gravy on the tablecloth.你把肉汁泼到台布上了。
• The meat was swimming in gravy.肉泡在浓汁之中。

13 flakes   

小薄片( flake的名词复数 )； （尤指）碎片； 雪花； 古怪的人

参考例句：

• It's snowing in great flakes. 天下着鹅毛大雪。
• It is snowing in great flakes. 正值大雪纷飞。

14 naively   

adv. 天真地

参考例句：

• They naively assume things can only get better. 他们天真地以为情况只会变好。
• In short, Knox's proposal was ill conceived and naively made. 总而言之，诺克斯的建议考虑不周，显示幼稚。

15 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

16 humbly   

adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地

参考例句：

• We humbly beg Your Majesty to show mercy. 我们恳请陛下发发慈悲。
• "You must be right, Sir,'said John humbly. “你一定是对的，先生，”约翰恭顺地说道。

17 tiresome   

adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的

参考例句：

• His doubts and hesitations were tiresome.他的疑惑和犹豫令人厌烦。
• He was tiresome in contending for the value of his own labors.他老为他自己劳动的价值而争强斗胜，令人生厌。

18 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

19 woe   

n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌

参考例句：

• Our two peoples are brothers sharing weal and woe.我们两国人民是患难与共的兄弟。
• A man is well or woe as he thinks himself so.自认祸是祸，自认福是福。

20 leash   

n.牵狗的皮带，束缚；v.用皮带系住

参考例句：

• I reached for the leash,but the dog got in between.我伸手去拿系狗绳，但被狗挡住了路。
• The dog strains at the leash,eager to be off.狗拼命地扯拉皮带，想挣脱开去。

21 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

22 comatose   

adj.昏睡的，昏迷不醒的

参考例句：

• Those in extreme fear can be put into a comatose type state.那些极端恐惧的人可能会被安放进一种昏迷状态。
• The doctors revived the comatose man.这个医生使这个昏睡的苏醒了。

23 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

24 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

25 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

26 serene   

adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的

参考例句：

• He has entered the serene autumn of his life.他已进入了美好的中年时期。
• He didn't speak much,he just smiled with that serene smile of his.他话不多，只是脸上露出他招牌式的淡定的微笑。

27 brook   

n.小河，溪；v.忍受，容让

参考例句：

• In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
• The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。