BUT CAN YOU BE LOUD?

a LOUD poem

Shanti, my dog.

I’M IN MY LIVING ROOM

MY DOG, SHANTI IS SNORING

SHE’S TINY BUT SHE EARTHQUAKES THE SOFA

I’M WATCHING THE NEWS

I PROMISED MYSELF I WOULDN’T

I BROKE MY PROMISE

AND I’M WATCHING THE NEWS

AND IN MY HEAD

I AM WRITING A LOUD POEM

AND THIS IS MY LOUD POEM

PEOPLE WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND THE INTERNET WRITE ALL IN CAPS

ONE OR TWO WORDS IS OKAY, BUT NOT ALL! FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, NOT ALL!

(UNLESS YOU ARE SCREAMING)

I AM SCREAMING!

(STOP SCREAMING)

NO!

(I MEAN, I WILL

EVENTUALLY

JUST NOT YET)

FIRST

WE

MUST

STOP THE NOISE OF BAM BAM BAM

STOP THE NOISE OF BAN BAN BAN

STOP THE NOISE OF BOOM BOOM BOOM

STOP THE NOISE OF BLAH BLAH BLAH

STOP THE NOISE OF BOO BOO BOO

STOP THE NOISE OF OTHERING!

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY STOP OTHERING!

NOW MY HEAD IS FILLED TO CAPACITY

I FORGET WHAT QUIET IS

I’M WORKED UP, SHOOK UP, FED UP

SHANTI WAKES UP

AND …

… licks my hand

i’ve been gripping the remote so hard

i can see the veins in my fist

i ex ha le

and i laugh at all the capital letters in my head

i kiss shanti’s wet nose

shanti is sanskrit for peace

what a good dog

For an original pen drawing commission, like the one of Shanti above or the ones below, please see this listing.