We call our blue, long haired, miniature Dachsund ‘tail end charlie’ because he insists on being last in line on a walk – and I mean insists, to the extent of walking in circles until our patience gives out and we just have to move on. It is a bit like a staring contest. He is not a particularly bright dog, though very loving and gentle, but in this he is the epitome of stubbornness. He was born to be last in line.

This is a long winded introduction to my late-coming to Napowrimo! I have just realised that it is happening now and have, six days late, signed up to write a poem every day for a month. I’m not sure why I was slow to catch on, but even when I found the site, I looked at ‘April 2011’ on screen and thought I still had plenty of time…I seem to have absorbed the fact that it is 2011, but not that it is already April.

I will endeavour to write a poem every day, but am not sure if I can play catch up and write seven in one day. I have already delighted in following the link from the Napowrimo site to http://www.writingfix.com and their generator of Serendipitous Oxymorons. I have spent five fun minutes clicking on alternatives and a whole page in my notebook is now covered with brilliant word combinations – melodic drowning being my current favourite.

So enough of this – I’m off to write a poem…

Four hours later, and the poem can be seen at  https://sallyjblackmore.co.uk/napowrimo/suicide/