The Steaming Poo of a Dog

First published in Daily Temporary, May, 2012.

The steaming poo of a dog

encaged in a plastic bag

gently rests upon his

left knee.

It occasionally bounces.

In motion. You can

see condensation.

He talks and he talks.

I struggle to comprehend

the moment when he will

run out of words.

Dried food has produced

a scabon his chin

and on his t-shirt.

Tattoos run up his arm

and crawl out of

his hairline.  

He talks.

Perhaps he has Aspergers,

perhaps he has Autism,

perhaps neither.

Tirelessly, he talks.

Noticing a lady from

Korea he speaks of

Taekwondo. Noticing a

man from Austria

he speaks of Germany.

Hearing this village is

somehow associated with

art he talks of Constable

and the ‘square artists’.

I admire his enthusiasm,

instigating conversation that

does not directly reference

himself. He is fishing

around subjects, doing

his upmost (as would any

good host) to make us feel

welcome.

It’s a curious one,

us artists, invading his

small town … and in turn

him invading our curated

temporary settlement.

I sense his talk is

testing tolerance.

Yet. He stays.  Him,

his dog, his dinner

scabbed on his chin

and his poo in

his plastic bag

causing condensation.

He stays.

As Alan and I disperse to

the local Ale House.

He  stays.

Welcome to Wolsingham.

Thankyou.

I am very happy to be

here.

The steaming poo of a dog

Andrew Wilson

The steaming poo of a dog was first published in ‘Daily Temporary’ on Monday 28th May, 2012. Daily Temporary was a newspaper project ran by Penka Mincheva (Bulgaria) and Peter Westman (Sweeden) at Nomadic Village 2012 in Wolsingham, County Durham, UK.

Nomadic Village was a project conceived by artist Klaus Mähring and produced by ​D6 with support from Durham County Arts Team and Wolsingham Parish Council. Between 21 May - 3 June 2012, the the Demesne Mill Picnic Area in the town of Wolsingham hosted a 'Nomadic Village' of 30+ international artists who came from as far away as Australia and as near as Tow Law. The 10-day project provided space for professional artists working in a variety of mediums to live and work, engage and interact with the local community and produce work responding to the location and situation