Friday, August 10, 2012

Bozymandias

photo by John Sandel


My apologies to Percy Bysshe Shelley

Bozymandias

I met a neighbor from a nearby street
Who said: "One torn and faded doggy bed
Lies on a front porch... On it, in the sun, 
Eyes closed, a sleepy visage lies, whose frown, 
And wrinkled lip, and snore of old command, 
Tell that his owner well those passions read 
Which yet survive, stamped on this listless dog, 
The hand that fed him and the heart that loved; 
So I told my neighbor all about my dog: 
His name is Bozymandias, Dog of Dogs, 
Look on his works, ye Mighty, and despair! 
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay 
Of that beloved wreck, boundless and bare 
The long and level street stretch's far away.

29 comments:

dive said...

A fabulous portrait in both words and photograph.
Dog of Dogs indeed. World renowned, universally admired; I wonder if Boz knows how many fans he has around the planet.

Unknown said...

No apology needed.

Dina said...

Wonderful, just wonderful.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Kudos to your hubby for taking that awesome photo! Love the angle, framing he created using what surrounds Boz's face... Sharp detail of paws, and the expression is priceless!. Definitely frameable!( is frameable a word????) :-)

Unknown said...

So... meditative!

BaysideLife said...

Dog of Dogs indeed. Boz looks so comfy on his bed on the porch.

Adele said...

Apologies? He should thank you. Boz looks amazing and sweet, as always.

Petrea Burchard said...

I never set out to make Boz famous, but sometimes fame is thrust upon us. He handles it well. He is often recognized upon the street (by the neighborhood kids), and he's always gracious to his fans.

Jean Spitzer said...

He has dignity, somehow. What a fine fellow.

Susan Campisi said...

Ode to Boz. Love it. And that's a fabulous photo to go along with it.

Latino Heritage said...

And a gentleman, besides. You'll never see pictures of him being taken out from a bar.
My fave line - "and snore of old command".
John somehow caught a bit pensiveness around the eyes. Love it.

Speedway said...

Sophisticated Boz with beautifully groomed toes. Shiny and dark, like his eyes.

Petrea Burchard said...

Oh my gosh, I adore his toes.

LOLfromPasa said...

What a star! What of great photograph.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Who cares what Shelley thinks, he's dead. As for that photo - beautifully composed. I saw another one that John did. FB? maybe...black and white with two surface planes meeting (tabletop and window?) evocative

Petrea Burchard said...

John is a great photographer. He's been my teacher since I started.

PA, I think I know the photo you mean. He sees light in unusual ways. Chaos, too.

Katie said...

Such a sublime photo of Boz. Great poem too. I like the faded doggy bed part.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Katie. Boz likes the faded doggy bed, too.

Ann Erdman said...

He's such a lovebug. Sweet boy. Love the poem!

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Ann!

Book Dragon said...

Thanks so much for stopping by The Lair.

Covers are strange. Sometimes it is just because I know the author. Maybe it's a title that grabs me first. Bright colors can do it, maybe something twisted. Eye catching but not too busy?

um, sorry, guess I'm not much help.

Why did I pick Devil's Food Cake Murder? I needed a cozy mystery with a food item in the title ;-)

sending virtual good luck! I'm looking forward to your book.

LOLfromPasa said...

Don't you hate it when you get an e-mail quoting your text in a comment and to your horror the second sentence (above) doesn't make any sense. Must do better...proof read, proof read, proof read :)

Bellis said...

Really great paraphrasing of that wonderful poem. It's not easy to do, and I wonder how long it took you. Did John and Boz help? Yes, I think Boz did, and I know which lines he suggested.

Petrea Burchard said...

BD, your reading pace is amazing and the Lair is a wondrous place.
I spent some time in Vroman's looking at covers and found I'm attracted to titles more than anything else. Color is a factor, and a sloppy cover turns me off. If I've heard of a book or read a review, of course that's huge. But I was surprised how powerfully a snappy title works on me.

LOL, I knew exactly what you meant! And of course I have never, ever made a typo.

Thanks, Bellis. John's Tuesday inspired us, but Boz and I did the work ourselves.

Ms M said...

What a great photo! And I love your Shelley re-write, "Bozymandia, Dog of Dogs", and "The long and level street stretch's far away."

Petrea Burchard said...

We tried to walk it earlier today but we got too hot. So we walked it after dark, and it didn't seem so far.

Book Dragon said...

I've picked up a book because of the cover and put it back because of the title before.

I've also picked up a book I had heard about/read reviews and then not purchased because of the cover.

Shallow? maybe but I didn't want to have THAT cover on my shelves or be seen with it. Long live ebooks lol

Petrea Burchard said...

I've done it, too. Some titles/covers are so bad you just don't want them telling the world "that" about you.

TheChieftess said...

such a sweet pic!!! He definitely does deal with his fame with dignity!!!