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Poetry Friday: How Falling In Love Is Like Owning A Dog

Dan Dadmun

KNAU listener Dan Dadmun went the extra mile for this week's Poetry Friday segment. He found a poem he like, Taylor Mali's 'How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog'. But he wanted to change the setting from New York to Flagstaff because he thought it would resonate in this dog-crazy town. So, he contacted the poet to ask if it was ok. Mali said yes. He told Dan the details of a spoken word poem should always be changed to better apply to the people hearing it. 

Hi, my name is Dan Dadmun. I'm reading a poem called 'How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog', by Taylor Mali with one minor, obvious alteration.

First of all, it's a big responsibility,

especially in a city like Flagstaff.

So think long and hard before deciding on love.

On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:

when you're walking down the street late at night

and you have a leash on love

ain't no one going to mess with you.

Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.

Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.

It lies between you and lives and breathes

and makes funny noises.

Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.

It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.

But come home and love is always happy to see you.

It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,

but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!

Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Credit Dan Dadmun
Dan Dadmun and poet Taylor Mali's Twitter conversation about changing the setting in 'How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog'

Love makes messes.

Love leaves you little surprises here and there.

Love needs lots of cleaning up after. 

Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.

Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper

and swat love on the nose, 

not so much to cause pain,

just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.

Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block

and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions

at once, or wind itself around and around you

until you're all wound up and you cannot move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.

People who have nothing in common but love

stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back,

again, and again, and again.

But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.

And in return, love loves you and never stops. 

Credit Dan Dadmun
Dan Dadmun's memorial pawprint tattoos for his dogs Cordy and Yoshi

Dan Dadmun streams KNAU from his home in Chula Vista, California

Poetry Friday is produced by KNAU's Gillian Ferris. 

Gillian Ferris was the News Director and Managing Editor for KNAU.
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