Harold, our adorable wire-hair dachshund puppy, has recently turned one, which I guess makes him no longer a puppy. However, he’ll always be our puppy. I attempted a Tanka about him below. A Tanka is 31 syllables. The first line is 5, second line 7, third line 5, and the last two are 7.
HAROLD
He is one year old
Cute black and white ball of fur
Giant dark brown eyes
Melts your heart in an instant
With unconditional love.
I’ve told this story before, but the story of our puppy Harold is amazing to us. My husband had always wanted a wire-haired dachshund since we saw them on the Westminster Dog Show. They are hard to find and can be expensive. My Dad, Harold, died in 2019. He loved dogs and owned a couple of dachshunds in his day. So when we saw a wire-hair dachshund puppy advertised online, and saw that the breeder had named him Harold, it felt meant to be. However, a big expense came up unexpectedly and we weren’t able to afford him. Dachshunds are popular dogs and he is a piebald wire-hair as well, so we thought he’d be snapped up immediately before we could get him. Two months later, I happened to notice online that Harold was still available. We had the funds, so we texted the breeder, and after a trip to South Carolina, we had our Harold. It is amazing to me because ever since then I’ve watched this breeder’s page and the dogs are all gone immediately, sometimes even before birth. I really feel like Dad saved him for us, and he has been a joy.
This is Harold operating at his normal speed, while his brother Hermann watches him go.
Bonnie Reads and Writes 
Awesome dog. His name reminds me of Harold McMillan, and he bears some resemblance to that British Prime Minister.
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Ha Ha. Harold McMillan must have been cute!
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I agree with you, your dad made sure Harold would be yours. I love his debut on the screen 😁, he made me laugh so hard, oh boy this dog can run!!! Lol His brother is cute. Both are. Thank you for sharing! 💙
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Thank you Louise. They are a lot of fun, hugs, and cuddles.
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Adorable and love the poem! 💜
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Thank you Phoebe!
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Harold is just adorable! And the story of his adoption is so heartwarming. Thank you for sharing the video. It was great fun to see Harold in action! Your tanka turned out well.
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Thanks Liz! Question: If I decide to write a tanka that rhymes, is it still a tanka? I may try that.
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You’re welcome, Bonnie! Tanka doesn’t use end rhymes; internal rhyme is occasionally used. That said, from what I’ve read, there are differences of opinion as to how far one can stray from the original form. I’d say try the poem both ways and see which one works better.
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Love the video – Harold needs a Superman cape to match his speed and valor! K
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That would be so cute!
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Great poem. Love your little dogs! Perhaps you should have name Harold the Road Runner!
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