“The Closest Soul to God” by Christine Bode

Poetry

Today, on National Pet Day, I think of all my dogs: Benji, the chocolate Spoodle; Geldof, the black and white Jack Russell Terrier/Springer Spaniel cross; Scully, my first blonde Goldendoodle; and Eloise, the blonde Goldendoodle who lives with me now.

This poem was written about Scully when I was going through the most difficult time of my life. The gratitude I have for her and all of my pets is eternal. They are the closest souls to God I’ll ever know.

The Closest Soul to God

A poem by ©Christine Bode, 2014

It’s the last month of my sister’s life,
and I know it.
Tonight, I cried so hard I couldn’t see, and
I couldn’t breathe.
I cried until the tears streamed down my face and
I choked on my snot.
I cried until the grief in my chest threatened to
inflate me to the most enormous mass of human pain in the
history of the Universe while I begged and pleaded
with God
to send someone to just hold me—
but no one came.
No one was ever there in the early part of the morning,
and no one was there late at night.
No man ever put his arms around me, even once,
in the last six months and told me he’d be there for me
if I needed him because my sister is dying.
Not one single man among all the men I’ve ever known in
my entire life.

The only being who was there for me every single day of
these twenty-five months of torture is my dog, and she
has borne the weight of my grief, loneliness, and woe,
without complaint or fail or falter.
She lies beside me every night and lets me touch her
and listen to her breathing until I can fall asleep,
giving me the strength I need to face the next day.
She proves that the purpose of every dog in the world is
to teach human beings about the value, strength, and power
of unconditional love.
So, the next time you’re about to say to me
(or anyone else) that she’s just a dog,
think again,
because she is not just a dog.
She is the closest soul to God I’ll ever know.

Read more poetry by Christine Bode in her latest collection, Eden Redefined.

Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $9.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $2.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Kingston Author Releases a New Collection of Audacious Poetry That Breathes Compassion and Rages against What Disconnects Us in Her New Book, Eden Redefined

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kingston author releases a new collection of audacious poetry that breathes compassion and rages against what disconnects us in her new book, Eden Redefined.

Kingston, ON – October 31, 2022

In her latest collection of audacious poetry, Eden Redefined, Christine Bode bares her soul, teasing every sense by revealing her life as an existential mud wrestler. Eden Redefinedintimately contemplates grief, human vampires, spiritual growth, love in its many guises, pandemic isolation, and the madness of the 21^st century.

Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Christine Bode’s first poem, about Shaun Cassidy, was published by Scholastic Book Services in Rock’s Biggest Ten and in 16 Magazine in 1978. Encouraged by a letter from Bob Geldof in 1987, mentored in the 2000s by Companion of the Order of Canada, Patrick Watson, and a review of her first poetry book, Eden Refugee, by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker Tom DiCillo, who said, “…it is blatantly obvious to me that Christine Bode has created an achingly beautiful piece of art here,” she continues to write poems with “the pulse of life in them.”

Bode’s work has been published in The Kingston Whig-Standard, Toronto Sun, and various American poetry presses such as New York Poetry Foundation, Inc., The Poetry Center, and American Poets Society.

“I have been writing poetry and prose since I was a teenager as a means of self-expression and self-therapy. I have learned that no matter our life circumstances, we can develop resilience and grow spiritually through the creative process,” says Bode.

An empath and truth seeker, she encourages people to question everything while remaining authentic. Christine has worked for fourteen years as a copy editor and social media manager for musicians and authors through her business, Bodacious Copy. She lives in Kingston with her Goldendoodle, Eloise.

What readers are saying:

“From the ravages of limerence to teaching an alien about the taste of pumpernickel, this little book bears the weight of the world. The poems breathe compassion, for self and others, and rage against what disconnects us…” – Cathrin Hagey, Writer and Editor

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“Full of passion, vitality, boldness, and inspiration Eden Redefined is as startling and audacious in its themes and concepts as it is beautiful and emotive in its language. Brilliant and brave poet Christine Bode knows how to capture the heart like a butterfly in the palm. This vibrant, courageous, and gripping collection of poetry will remind the reader of the frailty of love, life, and happiness and why that fragility is worth experiencing for all its nebulousness.” –  P.L. Stuart, Author 

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Eden Redefined is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3T6vbZf

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3gWMFtH

Contact Christine Bode at her website: https://bodaciouscopy.com

Eden Refugee is available on:

Amazon (Paperback) CDN $14.99: https://amzn.to/3FEAXhg

Amazon (Kindle) CDN $8.99: https://amzn.to/3TQDd9x