Stars Fall in Perseid Showers
Three poems by Stuart Watson
Issue 20 June, 2026
Departed Dogs
Standing at the kitchen counter
making coffee for my wife
and me, listening to our dog
finish his breakfast, something
summer heat disturbs, but clouds
and cooler air today have him
back on his feed. Standing here
thinking about all the other dogs
who shared their lives with us,
who came and went, who drove
a stake stout enough to kill
Dracula right through our hearts
and left us bleeding tears so big
they just drown us in the sobs
that wrap them up like gifts
from our worst uncle ever.
Then we meet someone walking
who wants to stop and attend
our current dog, learn his name,
ruffle his fur, pour his fingers
like honey on the burn, turn
and ask his name, thank me
for stopping and offering him
a chance to meet the spirit
waiting somewhere near
for him to step off the heavy
curb of grief, and take my advice
to finally get back on the bus.
The Chinese translation:
逝去的狗狗
站在廚房的料理台前，
為妻子和我自己煮咖啡，
聽著我們的狗狗
吃完早餐，酷暑下
他有點不對勁，但陰天
和較涼的空氣又讓他
開胃起來。站在這裡，
想起所有其他的狗狗，
他們曾與我們共度一生，
他們來了又走了，他們將
一根足以殺死德古拉
的粗桩子直穿我們的心，
我們淚流如注，
在啜泣中淚水把我們淹沒，
像我們那惡頂的叔父送的禮物一樣
包裹著他們。
然後我們遇見一個路人，
他想停下來逗逗
我們現在的狗，想知道他叫什麼，
摸摸他的毛髮，手指湧流
如蜜撫慰他的傷口，然後轉身，
問他的名字，感謝我，
感謝我停下來，給他機會
遇見那顆在附近
等著他的靈魂，
等待著他從沉重的悲傷中走出來，
聽從我的建議，
重新坐上人生的公車。
Bird Emergency
Bird chatter punctuates the audio sentence
of cars going east and west.
Beneath shade trees
clinging to a run-on slope
of plunging rock, my dog
and I take shelter in the shade
beneath a riot. Not just an irate
mother throwing a frying pan
at her cheating spouse.
Not just kids
cranking way too loud
for adults to tolerate.
I peer into the boughs to find
the players in this drama.
Oh, someone has words to share
with a miscreant doing wrong.
Shortly, the leaves reveal
a large black bird. Raven
pivoting on a branch, to avoid
the smaller Spitfires raking it
with invective. In its beak,
a limp theft, misshapen,
no hope for saving from its journey
to a meal. No way for me
to tell if it came from the table
of the smaller birds. Or worse,
a morsel from their nest.
I know no wings
with which to intercede.
Savior of nothing, I walk on in thought:
Would I continue sanguine
if a neighbor came into my house
and ate my child?
The Chinese translation:
鳥界突發事件
鳥鳴聲打斷東西往來的
車流聲。
在樹蔭下，
靠著連綿的
陡峭石坡，我
和我的狗在一場騷亂之下
避雨。不只是一位憤怒的
母親向她出軌的丈夫
丟平底鍋。
也不只是孩子們
大聲哭鬧到
大人難以忍受。
我探頭進樹枝間，尋找
這場鬧劇的演員。
噢，有人要訓斥一下
一個作惡的傢伙。
很快，樹葉間露出
一隻大黑鳥。渡鴉
在樹枝上繞圏飛，躲避
體型較小的噴火鳥
圍攻痛罵。牠叼著
癱軟、畸形的
賊贓，牠注定
成為盛宴。我無從知曉
牠是否來自
那些小鳥的餐桌。或者更糟，
是來自牠們鳥巢的殘羹剩飯。
鳥事我不懂，
無從調解。
我不是什麼救世主，只能邊行邊想：
假如鄰居闖進我家
吃掉我的孩子，
我仍能保持達觀嗎？
Kerfuffle
You don’t plan on or go looking
for a kerfuffle. It just happens,
when, for example, you decide
the dog deserves his morning ball chase
but as soon as you let him out
into the circle park at the end of your
cul-de-sac, you realize a neighbor
is walking his new puppy on a leash,
and your dog’s elevated energy
and excitement could end up wrapping
the other guy’s leash and dog around
his legs, so you elevate scrutiny of your dog
so he doesn’t disrupt the neighbor’s
placid walk, right when you hear
the growl of the garbage truck
trudging uphill, as your wife opens
the door to her car so she can go
for groceries just when you recognize your
neighbor and yell-chat about his dog
and your dog and winter travel plans,
and when you mention Tucson he says
he and his wife have a house down there
where they spend half the year watching
basketball and beautiful sunsets so you
offer to run to the house for your phone
so you can enter his contacts for a future
reach-out to them when you’re down there
but back in the now your wife sees what’s
going on and grabs your dog’s collar
so he doesn’t leave on the tire tread
of the garbage truck, freeing you
to resume your chat and finger-poke
the guy’s contacts into your phone
and learn that the puppy’s name is Rumi,
like the poet, but probably cuter,
when your wife gives your dog
back and goes to her car and drives off
as the guy from Tucson waves goodbye
and walks Rumi beneath flame-red
fall leaves toward the home they share
and you stand quietly in the placid circle
holding your panting dog and shaking
your head about all you accomplished
in the recently completed kerfuffle.
The Chinese translation:
一團亂麻
你並非策劃或自尋騷動，
它就是會發生，
好像當你決定
讓狗狗早上玩追球，
但就在你把他
放出去你家胡同盡頭的
環形公園時，你發現某位鄰居
正牽著他的小狗散步，
而你那精力旺盛
和興奮的狗可能會纏住
鄰居的狗繩和小狗的腿，
於是你更注意自己的狗，
以免打擾鄰居平靜的散步，
就在這時你聽到
垃圾車上斜的咆哮聲，
你的妻子打開
車門準備去買菜，
這時你正好認出那位
鄰居，高談闊論他的狗，
你的狗還有冬季旅行計畫，
當你提起圖森時他說
他和妻子在那裡有一棟房子
可以讓他們一年中有半年都住在那裡看
籃球和美麗的日落於是你
說要跑回家取電話
來記下他的聯絡電話以便日後
你再到那裡時可以找他們
但是現在你的妻子卻看到
發生什麼事所以趕緊抓住你狗狗的項圈
免得他被垃圾車的輪胎
輾過，讓你
可以繼續聊天和用指尖鍵入
那傢伙的聯絡號碼
並得知那小狗叫魯米，
和那位詩人同名，不過可能更可愛，
然後妻子把狗
還給你，走向她的車子，駛走，
那位從圖森來的傢伙也揮手道別，
遛著魯米走過火紅的
秋葉下回他們共同的家，
而你則靜靜站在平靜的圓圈裡，
抱著你那喘著氣的狗狗，為自己
在剛剛結束的騷動中
所做到的搖頭苦笑。
Translated by Florence Ng
Stuart Watson's poetry is in Rattle, Broadkill Review, Beach Reads, the Muleskinner Journal, MacQueen's Quinterly, Horror Sleaze Trash, Abandoned Mine, Al Dente Journal, Stanchion, Southword, The Glass Post, Backwards Trajectory and more. Links at chiselchips.com. He lives in Hood River, Oregon, with his wife and their current "best" dog.
socials:
@windblastedpappy.bsky.social
Three poems by Ann Howells
Animal Magnetism
Paul walks me home,
one arm about my waist
as he takes Snowball’s leash
from my hand.
Stars fall in Perseid showers ––
and I make a wish
on every one.
But Paul soon leaves me
for Betsy:
she of the long blond hair
and big blue eyes.
The real attraction though
was Betsy’s collie –
who was totally unimpressed
by Paul. So, his interest strayed
to Jenn,
whose spaniel had just delivered
a litter of seven.
The Chinese translation:
動物磁場
保羅送我回家，
一隻手臂攬著我的腰，
另一隻手接過我手中
牽著雪球的牽繩。
英仙座流星雨如繁星墜落——
我對著每一顆星
許下願望。
但是保羅很快離開了我，
移情別戀了貝琪：
她擁有長而金黃色的頭髮
和又大又藍的眼睛。
但是，真正吸引他的
其實是貝琪的牧羊犬——
那隻狗對保羅
完全不屑一顧。
於是，他的心思又飄到了
珍的身上，
因她的西班牙獵犬剛誕下了
一窩七隻幼犬。
Rescue
He squirms
through a hole in my fence,
pressed flat. wriggling on his belly –
does he think he’s Peter Rabbit
fleeing Mr. McGregor’s garden?
Burr-snarled and muck-encrusted,
chest lowered, rump raised,
he sets his nubby tail on vibrate,
leaps, romps, licks my hand,
basks in attention as if center ring
under the big top, every spotlight
shining directly on him.
Did I say he squirmed
through a hole in my fence?
I meant to say in my heart.
The Chinese translation:
拯救
他蠕動著身軀
穿過我家籬笆上的一個洞，
身體緊貼著地面。肚子貼地扭動著——
他以為自己是彼得兔
正從麥奎格先生的花園裡逃跑嗎？
渾身纏著帶刺的草，黏滿泥巴，
壓低胸口，翹起屁股，
他震動著短小的尾巴，
跳躍、嬉戲、舔我的手，
沉浸在我的關注中，彷彿置身於大帳篷下的舞台中心，每一盞聚光燈
都直接照在他身上。
我有說他是蠕動著身軀
穿過我家籬笆上的洞嗎？
我其實是想說，他鑽進了我的心裡。
Translated by Polly Ho
Paws for Alarm
From ghoulies and ghosties and long-legged beasties,
and things that go bump in the night, good Lord, deliver us.
Old Irish blessing
No ghoulies about this place,
and the only ghostie is my small familiar,
silver-grey, tread pussy-cat-silent.
His presence radiates warmth
as he rests his chin against my thigh.
And our long-legged beastie?
My daughter’s joined-at-the-hip companion –
golden, ears like Seth,
instincts of Bastet –
aware of strangers, and not-so-strangers.
Salesmen rap our door,
offer discounts on top-of-the-line
security systems. We have one:
wireless, runs on water, belly rubs,
treats and kibble.
The Chinese translation:
爪爪代表警報
上帝啊，救我們遠離食屍鬼、小鬼和長腿怪，
以及夜裡發出砰然巨響的東西。
古老的愛爾蘭祝福
這裡沒有食屍鬼，
唯一的小鬼是我那小知交，
銀灰色的，踏著無聲的貓步。
他的存在散發著溫暖，
他愛把下巴擱在我的大腿上。
我們那長腿怪嗎？
我女兒形影不離的夥伴——
金色的毛髮，戰神賽斯一樣的耳朵，
芭絲特女神般的直覺—─
能夠感知陌生人和不太陌生的人。
推銷員敲我們的門，
兜售頂級保安系統的折扣。
我們家有一套：
無線，用水、搔肚肚、
零食和餅餅驅動。
Translated by Florence Ng
Ann Howells edited Illya’s Honey for eighteen years. Recent books: So Long As We Speak Their Names (Kelsay Books, 2019) and Painting the Pinwheel Sky (Assure Press, 2020). Chapbooks Black Crow in Flight and Softly Beating Wings were published through contests. Ann’s work appears in Nimrod, Magma, and Crannog, among others.