Welcome to Poetry Friday!
Susan Thomsen has the roundup today at Chicken Spaghetti where she shares a poem that begins with the last line of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself” – “I stop somewhere waiting for you.” Last week she invited poets to join her in writing a poem that also borrows this line from Whitman as a jumping off point.
Off Leash
I stop somewhere waiting for you,
then race ahead
on the well-worn path
each new scent sound surprise
a delight
I wander stop
wait
wander listen
wait
until…
I feel it see it know it –
home!
I’ll be waiting for you.
Draft, 2026RoseCappelli
Photo by Laura Roberts on Unsplash
Imagine the Possibilities 
:) I love the dog’s perspective, and how the poem so quickly moves from waiting to not waiting (as a dog is wont to do!). Brava! xo
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Thanks Irene!
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aww! Love this Rose! Made me wonder if it brought back memories 💝
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Oh my gosh! I should have dedicated this poem to Bonnie! She was my inspiration the whole way through. Please give her a hug for me.
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Rose, I love how the poem starts in stopped stillness and then you take us, beginning with that great “then race ahead” on a joyful journey towards home. Love the spacing and line breaks, too! Love how the title can apply to a dog but also a person, who is released from their daily responsibilities!
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Thanks for reading, Mona!
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Love it – so sweet!
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I feel the joy in your poem, Rose! You took WW’s line and ran with it, all the way home. Love it!
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Oh, what a sweet surprise, Rose, for I thought it was about two kids, but then, I saw the photo, and then re-read it. I adore it!
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I love how many different ways people went with the prompt! Yours is very fun (and true)! I like what Mona said about how the title can also apply to people. :)
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I could feel the movement of a dog before I even saw the photo. A fun response to the prompt.
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Rose, sweet poem about a free dog! I love so much! The magical dog language you managed like “each new scent sound surprise” and the running together of “I feel it see it know it–home!” Very fun and the photo you found illustrates your poem to a T.
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I love, ‘Off Leash.’ Oh, that freedom and excitement. There’s nothing like it. Our dog recently went chasing deer through the woods. She was the very image of this poem!
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At first I assumed it was the human’s perspective and it gave one meaning, then rereading it, discovered the it was the dog. So clever! and so true!
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Rose, this is so great! I love the perspective and the use of white space. So sweet!
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Love this Rose! Writing with a pet in mind. It reminds me of walking in the woods with my husband and dog. Great work!
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Rose, you perfectly captured that Dog Energy! I love this! ❤️
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I love this twist. perfect!
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Rose, your poem surprised me. I thought it was you taking your dog off the leash. Then, the photo solved the mystery. It was the dog!
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Aww, Rose! That works so well and reading back, sounds just like a dog!
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Rose, a frisky four-legged furry fun companion is the perfect one to “Wait for You!” Your poem is super :)
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Ha! Fantastic! I LOVELOVELOVE that you gave us a dog’s POV!!! Best of show!
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Thanks, Mary Lee!
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