ch. 10, v.1-20 (melting of the snows)

*warning: some content of this posting may not be appropriate for viewers over 7 years of age.



You see, my companion, how the prescient hand of March
Begins now to draw back the cover of snow and reveals once more
To the sight of your eye and the scent of my muzzle the bed of the earth.




The fruits and limbs fallen with autumn's blow become a nursery
To the generation now germinating beyond our perception.

But beware, my companion, the treachery of this mosaic,
For it is also a subtle camouflage that does play a trick upon your eye.
Place with care each step of your foot as you make the path to collect my deposits,
For hidden here are cryptic and innumerable snares.




Nay, not all puppies of humans track with such devotion the leavings of their canines.
These neighbors do cast aside their eyes and see not that which they know.
They say unto themselves, "I shall not bow down to the labor of this retrieval,
Nor burden my hand with the transformations of kibble and biscuits,
For shall not the precipitations of the sky like sorcery make these remnants
Vanish unto nothingness?"




So they do tell themselves a tale of foolishness,
And make wishes against the legislation of physics.
Thus your path you must choose with caution, my companion,
For now the relics of many a canine digestive tract
Do threaten the tread of your deeply molded shoe.




Exegesis and commentary
My apologies to those of you with delicate sensibilities. Sadly, Frida's chastising verses address a too prevalent winter problem that spring makes apparent.

So, not only is it a hassle that, once winter comes, even more dog walkers seem to think it's okay not to pick up after their dogs, but then in the spring, when all of these cryogenicly preserved creations become evident, those of us who will cross muddy fields to pick up after our canine friends are all too likely to step in a poopmine. It is especially challenging in the early spring, when rotting leaves, sticks, mud, pine cones, etc., can be very hard to distinguish from snow-pickled turds.





Looks like a dropping:


But, on closer inspection, we discover decaying bark:


And who can blame the people who like to use the parks and don't have dogs for wishing all the dog walkers would go away? Really, those of you (and you know who you are) who pretend you don't see that your dog is pooping or want to believe that the rain or snow will just make it vanish (poof!), stop kidding yourselves and just pick the turds up. You're just making it that much harder to have a dog-friendly neighborhood.