Poppy and Rooster

Poppy and Rooster, the one-eyed Boston, my writing companions.

I've always heard that it helps to have a writing group. Apparently, everyone has one. I'm always shocked when I read the acknowledgements page (and, yes, I read the acknowledgements) when the writer calls out twenty or thirty folks who have helped them shape their manuscript. Even I don't need that much help. Or maybe I do, and don't realize it. No need to respond.

My writing group is Poppy and Rooster. Poppy is a taskmaster who has decided she is my personal supervisor. It does not matter what chore I am doing; Poppy is there making sure the work meets her standards. She is especially picky when I am changing the bedding in her crate. She can spend ten minutes rearranging the bedding to suit her needs. I write early in the morning, a habit I acquired back when we had one computer and three kids at home. I write early in the morning now because Poppy makes sure I'm awake and that I get my lazy ass out of bed. She puts her face inches from mine and stares at me until I start moving. I'll give her credit for twenty-five percent of the days I'm up writing, although I resent her every Saturday and Sunday. Her concept of sleeping in is 5 am.

Rooster provides security 24/7. His name is Rooster because he crows like a Rooster. Or like a strangled goat, but Rooster is the better name, so we go with that. His crow is so over the top that it shocks people who have never heard it. He thinks he is a big dog, at least when he is inside the house. When he sees a deer in the yard through the patio door, he is all business and bark. He is definitely going to tell them who is boss and that they need his permission to walk through his yard. Amazingly, if he is outside and he sees a deer in the yard, he doesn't say a single word. He watches the deer, they watch him and everyone stays under control. His personal nemesis is the Amazon delivery driver. I think he believes they change their appearance to try to fool him, but he is having none of it.

Poppy supervises Rooster as well as me. She lets him know when his behavior is inappropriate and when he has spent enough time playing with one of his toys. She spends half her time grooming him and half her time correcting him. Rooster is bigger and stronger and faster, but Poppy is more willful and rules the roost. They don't offer great feedback, even when I read out loud to them, but you can't have everything.

We cannot abide cruelty, from any source.

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