Yesterday, I was playing around on ChatGPT, going through tips for writers, and I came across this tip: “Start Each Sentence with a New Letter of the Alphabet.” So I challenged myself to write a story with twenty-six sentences, each beginning with a different letter of the alphabet. It started as a fun exercise but the challenge forced me to dig for unexpected word choices and fresh sentence structures — a playful way to jumpstart creativity.
I was thinking about my neighbor's dog, Paco, who died on November 3, 2023. I wrote about him in the chapter "Alarm" in My Guest Book: à la Rumi. He and my Hoppoo were friends and always played together. Anyway... This is about my dogs and Paco:
A ll the dogs in the neighborhood got together.
A ll the dogs in the neighborhood got together.
B arks filled the air as they gathered in the woods.
C hasing tails and jumping high, they were ready for play.
D iscovering a patch of mud, the bravest pup dove in face-first.
E ager noses sniffed every inch of the mud patch and the area around it.
F eet flying, they sprinted in circles.
G rowls of playful competition broke out.
H owls of laughter erupted.
I mpromptu races broke out, with tails wagging.
J umps and flips added flair as they chased each other.
K ibble treats appeared here and there.
L icking their chops, they snatched up every crumb.
M ud-covered but thrilled, they barked in agreement: this was the life.
N oses to the ground, they sniffed out every single blade of grass.
O ne by one, they shook off the dirt.
P aws thumped against the earth in an endless rhythm of joy.
Q uick dashes and sudden stops, they played like there was no tomorrow.
R olling around, they enjoyed the coolness of the grass on their backs.
S unshine warmed their fur.
T ails wagged nonstop, each dog as happy as could be.
U nbothered by mud or mess, they embraced the chaos completely.
V oices calling their names brought wagging tails and eager barks.
W ith their big, goofy smiles, they looked exhausted but content.
X enial greetings were exchanged.
Y awns signaled the end of the adventure.
Z ipping home, they dreamed of the next time they'd all meet again.
