"My Own Haiku" | Why Are You a Miniature Dachshund?

I feel a resistance to calling my miniature dachshund a dog, let alone a pet or a domestic animal.
I suppose it is because we have shared time and space for so long, but since she cannot speak Japanese, we try to communicate through expressions, gestures, and the atmosphere of the moment (or so I like to think (laughs)).

If she were to speak, I think she would say:
・You're still not quite there!
・Understand me more deeply!
・The nuance is okay!
That is the feeling I get.

Rather than being healed, I feel as though I am being taught the true heart of a living creature.
・Without pretense
・Without lying
・Without playing games
I believe she is purely asserting her life.

Though it is my own style of haiku, it is hard to express well, but I dedicate these to her with love.

<1>"Defeated by my dog's / Gaze, I give in to the treat / Oh, the weakness of man"

(aiken no / mejikara ni make / oyatsu kana)

My wife always scolds me, saying, "You spoil her too much!" Even so, I feel that the look she gives me has a special intensity that she doesn't show my wife.
Regarding our dog, my wife plays the primary role and I play the secondary role.
I am in charge of feeding, bathroom duties, showers, and drives (combined with walks).

<2>"My dog's true feelings / Are they perhaps forever / A secret to keep?"

(aiken no / honne wa zutto / himitsu kana)

I think it will take some time before we can truly understand each other through words.
(↓ The other day, there was a note article about an app that translates cat meows)

Translating a cat's "Meow" - Was this what they were thinking!? (October 21, 2021) | Yuzuki-san

I imagine there are many things we don't want to hear, or perhaps shouldn't hear.
I feel it is important to draw close, put myself in her position, and look back from the same perspective.

<3>"My dog's composed look / Is it a bit eerie now / Or just her own way?"

(aiken no / sumasu shigusa ga / bukimi kana)

At our house, we judge the importance and urgency for our dog by whether she sits like a guardian lion (quite tense) or a sphinx (still relaxed).
When she stands on all fours and steps on the top of my foot with her front paw, it means "Right now!" (laughs).

<4>"The owner wishes / For both big and small business / To happen at once"

(kainushi wa / daishou tomo ni / negatteru)

The effort of changing pet sheets and the cost are not insignificant burdens.
If possible, I sometimes find myself wishing for the impossible: that she would just finish both big and small business at the same time.
Whether it is night or day, she comes to tell me when she is done. When I am sleeping, she nudges me with her cold nose, and when I am awake (sitting), she brushes her body against my shins or calves (like a cat) as she passes by.
I pat her back and say, "Yes, good job!" to let her know, "Understood! I'll change the sheet!"

<5>"A dog's little gift / Left behind in the middle / Of the festival"

(inu no fun / hayashi no naka ni / otoshimono)

The festival is crowded with people, and it's hard to walk because there's dog poop on the ground, but perhaps there are moments when even the owners can't manage everything.
From the dog's perspective, it probably signaled "Potty!" beforehand,
and I think it just couldn't wait, saw its chance, and chose a little bit of relief.
Since I didn't have a bag with me, I just nudged it to the side of the road.
I hope the lost item finds its owner.

Thank you for staying with me until the end.

May today be a wonderful day for you and everyone else.
(*This is a phrase I received from Biore ∞ Biore #Photosynthesis of Life.)

* * * * *
*Points of concern for this article (I've started noting things I was unsure about in terms of expression)
・I want to express my feelings using only the lines of my "My Style Haiku," but I find it hard to be direct (I used the commentary to supplement it).
・Image photo: It's my first time using a calligraphy brush in 45 years, and my hand isn't moving the way I want it to. It would be a relief if you could see it as having a certain charm.