Sprinkles reviews Sleeping With Dogs: A Poetic Memoir by Barbara Barth

A chapbook is a small book, typically a collection of poems, typically within twenty to forty pages, sometimes organized around a theme, sometimes not. Even though chapbooks have a long and storied past, here at the book bunnies blog, we have not had the occasion to review any till now. And Sleeping With Dogs: A Poetic Memoir is just right for a blog hosted by bunnies!

This is indeed a little book of forty pages, with a cute pink cover; on the cover is a stylized image of a woman in a patch of a bed, sleeping surrounded by six little dogs, some curled up, some fully awake and curiously staring at the observer / reader. The patch of bed is covered with little pink hearts. So already you might imagine, this book is not only about dogs (as you probably had already figured out from the title) but it is also very much about love. And indeed love is the overwhelming theme of the book.

Barbara Barth’s writing journey began when she lost her husband in 2008. She began writing but also she began adopting dogs. Words and dogs became her lifelines. This chapbook collects her free verse poetry about her dogs and herself growing into the woman she is today with her dogs. Barth tells us the stories of Foxy-Lady, who knew her husband before he passed away, Bray, the first adoptee after, and many many others, via simple but evocative sentence fragments, which somehow come together into fluid free verse.

Out of the twenty-three poems in the chapbook, ten are written as odes to specific dogs: “Foxy-Lady” (2), “Bray” (5), “Annabelle” (6), “Queen Chloe” (7), “Odette” (10), “A Dog Named Studly” (11), “The Last of the Big Dogs” (12), “The Christmas Gift” (13), “Carmella” (17), “PS. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (23). Each of these ten poems introduces its subject, a dog with their own personal back story, and tells the story of how they came to join Barth and her life. Most of the dogs are rescues, so often the back stories are sad or uncertain at times, but most of these poems end with joy, joy of a once-sad dog having found a new home that welcomes them. (Carmella shows up again in “Morning” (19) as the mischievous main character, crafty and still lovable.)

Then there are two poems, about two dogs each, that tell stories of new members joining a big happy family and making it happier. “One Week Two Dogs” (8) tells the story of how Barth first met Rascal and April on the same day, but took them home on two separate days. April immediately becomes Miss April in Paris, and they both find themselves full members of the growing new family Barth has been building around her. “Dumb and Dumber” (14) tells the story of how father-and-son duo Moe and Happy Dog, join the family. The Dumb and Dumber become loving nicknames to them and celebrate their natural silliness as they like to fool around.

The rest of the poems are not focused on individual dogs. Rather they tell the story of Barth’s life today, full with dogs and dog love. The very first poem in the chapbook, “”Why I Write” (1) introduces Barth to us a bit more. After having read the brief prose introduction to the collection, this poem eases us into the poetic form. “Sleeping With Dogs” (3) and “Six-Pack” (4) set the tone early towards the beginning of the chapbook, telling us how the dogs came to Barth’s life and made it whole. “Chihuahua Love” (9) tells us of her transformation from a “dog lady with big dogs” to a “dog lady with chihuahuas”. “Storm” (15) and “After the Rain” (16) tell us what happens in her household during and after a rainstorm. “Night Moves” (18), “Morning” (19), “Patio View” (20), and “Four Seasons” (21) offer more snapshots of her life with her dogs: a full life filled with love and joy and many other intense emotions lived in the moment. Finally “Paint Party” (22) tells us what Barth might just be doing today in her home: painting, with her four-legged friends surrounding her, content.

Being a household of four bunnies we do not have any dogs living with us. We are typically very timid near four-legged creatures who are bigger than ourselves. But Barth makes the best case for inviting dogs into your life. She does not preach or explain. She just tells her own story, in which she happens to find love over and over and over again. (Of course one imagines she is giving a lot of love back. It is impossible for this much love to flow only in one direction.)

All in all, I have very much appreciated the opportunity to read and review Sleeping With Dogs: A Poetic Memoir. And I’d recommend it highly to all sorts of folks, young bunnies and old bunnies, and everyone in between. I know that the little bunnies in my own household will love the book just as much as I did. If you like reading poetry, or if you love dogs, it is probably a no-brainer: you should read this book. Otherwise, if you just happen to have only a little space in your day to read a couple short pages at a time, then this little pink book might just be what you need to fill your heart with some joy.