November’s full moon is just one day after the Great American Smoke Out; if you have ever lost a loved one to the tobacco habit or if you have overcome it yourself every full moon is an opportunity to celebrate life. This month I had the pleasure of having a copy of Calligrammes Poems of Peace and War (1913-1916) written by Guillaume Apollinaire to peruse. Seeing the way he had written the lines of poetry as shapes to tell a story immediately called to mind my own poem: Absent written from the perspective of the family dog. I too have seen loved ones fall ill and perish from the tobacco habit, just one is too many. Many of our friends and families have dogs that they need to walk and if they are smokers they will do so while out with their furry kids. What do our canine friends think of this unusual habit? We know that dogs do think, and can reason for we’ve all seen them barking while dreaming or waiting for their people to leave the house before helping themselves from the kitchen trash. If dogs could speak would they ask their humans to stop smoking? Below is my version of a calligramme:

I wish all your full moons to be bright, and beautiful. A Happy Thanksgiving!