Write Poetry About a Dog Attack? Really?

Larada Horner-Miller

2 years ago

Write poetry about a dog attack? I’ve written poetry on every topic possible. And yes, I have written poetry about the dog attack.

Today is eight weeks—two months since that horrible mauling. I’ve been robbed of my normal life and living. No dancing, dancing, dancing! Finally, we planned to go to Rendezvous in the Rockies square and round dance festival next weekend. No way! No Driving to my meetings, getting groceries or just going shopping. Driving to Branson twice to visit my brother and enjoy our family ranch—NO! NO DANCING, DANCING, DANCING FOR 2 MONTHS! I’ve never done that my whole life. My 1st poetry book in a four-book series was supposed to be out a month or so ago!

After all this time, it’s not over! The wound is still open and needs dressing. The nerve damage in my foot and ankle rages on. I’m having to adjust to taking Gabapentin again which makes me feel foggy! I took it for the neuralgia after shingles—I hate how I feel on it!

The one positive is the unbelievable support I’ve received from family and friends. I appreciate it more than you know. My niece and her family sent me a beautiful fleece blanket and shower steamers! I’m anxious to try the shower steamers because I’ve never heard of them.

Haikus Since the Attack

Usually, I write multiple haikus often in response to my online meditation, but I haven’t been able to attend as regularly as I like. I have three journals full of those inspired haikus.

Here’s a some I have written since the dog attack:

August 12, 2024

Gratitude saves me.

It keeps my eyes on the prize.

The prize is my God!

August 19, 2024

Is “walk in beauty”

In my future? Will I limp?

With God’s help, I won’t!

September 2, 2024

I danced in a cast

From my ankle to my thigh.

But I was 15!

Am I resilient?

Will this dog attack define?

I will come back strong!

September 6, 2024 – I led the international online meditation and chose a reading, “Transform It or Transmit It” from Father Richard Rohr’s devotional book, just this. He talks about “sacred wounds” which resonated with me with my wound. Could my God make it sacred? My haiku response:

Sacred wounds still hurt.

But Jesus helps transform them.

I give them to Him!
Make me willing, please!

(Remember the importance of the third line! So I provide an option here!)

The choice is mine now.

Negative, bitter or not?

I chose Jesus’ way.

Embrace your body!

God’s miraculous artwork.

Healing flows in me.

Sacred wounds abound.

With God’s help, I’ve transformed them.

Help me transform this!

Poetry, haiku, life’s experiences provide a rich source for topics for me. However, this is one I didn’t want to write about.

When Mom died, my poetry dried up for six weeks—I had nothing to say. Then at six weeks, the poetry flooded my notebooks about everything I had experienced. The same thing has happened with this tragedy except for my haikus shared here. The first six weeks, I cried and cried and focused on healing.

Then a couple weeks, I grabbed a journal and wrote my first poem about the experience, so know there’s more poetry coming about this experience.

Here’s possible topics:

The initial mauling
- The owner’s reaction when he lifted my pant leg and saw the wound
- My first reaction when I saw the wound
My brother’s response when he first saw my wound
My brother’s loving care when he drove me the 50 miles to Trinidad to the ER
The ER experience and the caring staff there
Lin’s first experience of seeing my wound
Walking with a cane
My visits to my primary care doctor when I returned home and her response
My visits to the Wound Clinic
- Doing everything wrong for three weeks
- Couldn’t stand watching what the nurse did
Showering with a cast cover
My visit to Urgent Care with fear of a blood clot or an obsess
The Wound Clinic nurse specialist testing for an infection and then the high-powered antibiotic
My reaction to the antibiotic
- Burning toes
Hosting Hot August Nights and not getting to dance to my favorite caller and cuer
My adjusted schedule
Trouble sleeping
- Toes, ankle and foot hurt
- Wound hurt
Postponing the release of my next book, Was It a Dream?

As you can see, there is a lot of poetry percolating inside of me with this dog attack. I will take my time to focus on this, and I will share them with you when it’s appropriate!