The Neighbor’s Dog Will Not Stop Barking The neighbor’s dog will not stop barking My body - Thursday Tired and aching to sleep A rhythmic infliction of pain to my ears three quick barks And a fourth staccato Repeat repeat repeat There are no verses Only chorus after chorus Repeating Repeating Repeating . . . How can the neighbors not hear? Why do they allow their dog to pierce and torment the peaceful night’s air? What could possibly be causing it to bark? When will this torture end? Will I go crazy? I wrap my half dozen blankets around my head begging begging and praying praying for this to end Memories of my father’s distress at barking dogs Incessant at night when he could not sleep Seep into my cocoon of auditory protection One time - he stomping out of his bedroom and In his bathrobe and slippers driving on the three-wheeler To the neighbors with a bb-gun Or maybe it was an old boot To put an end to the neighbor's barking dog . . . Poor cupcake my little sister said The memory made me smile knowing he is still here And, then. . . I must have fallen asleep. ©by Shari L. Daniels, fierce despiser of dogs who bark at night Poem draft inspired by Billy Collin's poem: Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House and the fact that I could not sleep last night due to the neighbor's barking dog. I am participating in the 14th Annual SOL 2021 March challenge. For 31 days, I will attempt to write and share a small slice of life from my days. If you’d like to read more of today’s slices from other teacher-writers, please head over to twowritingteachers, who have also committed to this challenge. It's also Poetry Friday! If you'd like to read other poems from teachers, authors and poets participating in Poetry Friday, you can visit Kathryn Apel's lovely blog as she hosts today's poets. Please join us in the sharing of a poem on Fridays! When teachers write themselves, they are able to draw from their inner curriculum they have shaped for themselves in which to model and teach their students. But, more than this, as human beings, we also cultivate a writing practice that can be a buoy and and an anchor in the turbulent waters of our lives.
Islands of My Soul 
Your words so romantically and lyrically flowed together in this piece offering a literary experience second to none. I had to read this again to savor its beauty. I could feel the concern of your little sister as she sees your agitated dad storming out. I hope you can catch up on sleep tonight, Shari! Also, I totally snagged your poetry idea for today’s slice. Thank you for that reminder!
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Thanks for sharing. Are you even an adult if you don’t know “Thursday Tired”? Hopefully, the neighbor’s dog sleeps better tonight.
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I love the Billy Collins poem that inspired you, and I like the way you’ve expressed your unpleasant experience! And I’m glad you finally went to sleep. 🙂 Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
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That first verse speaks loudly of your familiarity with this particular bark. And I hear you on incessant repetitive noises when you’re trying to sleep. (But I also feel it on random repetitive noises after extended pauses, that startle you awake time-after-time-after-time.🥺) But how warm and lovely, that you were able to fall asleep at last, to a memory of your dad. I do hope you all sleep better tonight.
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Shari, before I even opened your post I was thinking Billy Collins! My wife and I both love that poem of his, and quote it often (well, paraphrase, anyway). Your treatment of the theme is a pleasure to read, though I feel guilty finding pleasure in your misery. My own dog, a yappy little thing, barks a lot, but sometimes I think it’s because she knows I’ll call her in with a treat. Hopefully your neighbor will get a clue, though it seems they rarely do.
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I’m sorry for your miserable experience, but I’m glad it inspired this darkly humorous poem. Collin’s is a masterful mentor. Wishing you a bark-free night! 🙂
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Oh, gosh! That sounds miserable. We have a barking puppy neighbor (we live in a townhome), but the owner is working with a trainer, and I’m sure it will all work out. And it’s a distant, muffled sound, anyway. I’m so sorry for the misery, Shari, and I could definitely feel the influence of Collins here!
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Luckily there are no constantly barking dogs around, but plenty of dogs being walked. You’ve shown the trials of it, but I smiled when I read “Or maybe it was an old boot”. There is hope at the end!
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Great poem! I loved how your repeating words echoed the repeating sound. I think we’ve all been there at some point. Glad you were able to finally get some sleep!
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Oh my…you capture the torment of a barking dog in the middle of the night. Glad you finally got some sleep–and a poem from the experience.
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This is wonderful–the cartoon had me laughing and then the poem was a delight to read.
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