Snoopyism
Take out the “stormy” part,
And “It was a dark night”
As most nights are,
When it happened to rain
Snoopy went for this
(the words appear above
his doghouse, when
he’s typing—how does
the typewriter stay perched
along the top
like that?)
But the words were borrowed
From other sources (more
than one writer claims
the cliché!), and we
Smiled, because we were certain
We could do better
It was night; there was rain
Okay, now your turn
C L Couch
(see, Snoopy is a beagle character in the Peanuts comics and cartoons, and Snoopy like to write while on top of his doghouse (Snoopy’s always on top, not in, his doghouse), and the famous words he quotes are “It was a dark and stormy night” that have been used now and then by writers who evidently had nothing else to say
and I keep forgetting that Madeleine L’Engle uses the phrase intentionally (knowing it was cliché) to start her novel A Wrinkle in Time)
Photo by Grant Durr on Unsplash
clcouch123 
August 1, 2020 at 8:20 pm
The opening of A Wrinkle in Time is the best part of it, in my opinion. I don’t know Peanuts well enough to know about Snoopy’s literary pretensions. the dark and stormy night is a good line though 🙂
August 1, 2020 at 8:31 pm
Thank you. I like the first part of the series best. I don’t know the global reach of Peanuts. It is a great line, though, for having such appeal. There’s an annual contest inviting submissions of a manuscript beginning with the line.
I hope August is a continuation of summer beauty for you.
August 1, 2020 at 8:34 pm
There was a Peanuts cartoon in a British Sunday newspaper which is where I saw it. can’t say I was a fan. To be honest, the humour went over my head.
I hated the characters in that story before it got to the end of the first book. Never read any of the others.
Thank you. August looks like being hot and dry. We’re parched already…
August 2, 2020 at 4:54 pm
I love Snoopy and your Snoopy poem! 🐶 It was night; there was rain. Suddenly they appeared, with flashlights and umbrellas… (What happens next?)
August 5, 2020 at 1:11 am
Thanks! Your contribution to the story’s great! Regarding what happens, I think we’re supposed to read below.
August 2, 2020 at 10:10 pm
It was a dark and stormy night when death came knocking at my door. A few minutes earlier I had answered expecting to see a distressed stranger. For who else would be about on such a night. But to my distress, it was death beckoning to me. I could do nothing but follow as death led me to a sad little bundle writhing on the sidewalk. He pointed to the bundle and then pointed to my house and I understood that I was to carry that sad little bundle out of the lashing rain. I complied willingly, in fear of death, yet letting my human instincts guide me. Upon reaching the house I placed the bundle on the kitchen table and discovered it was a beagle covered in mud and blood. I filled a bath and washed that sad little bundle till it gleamed. It attempted a tiny wag of its tail and I said: “hang on Snoopy, Snoopy hang on”. It seems death has a liking for beagles.
August 5, 2020 at 1:16 am
Death likes beagles, and you like classic rock ‘n roll. Between the two you, the narrator and Death, the dogs ends up washed and with a home (presuming you’re going to keep the dog). I thought of Death playing chess in the movie and so was distracted when the bundle appeared, which turned out to be the beagle. The story-circle is complete. Unless there might be a Chapter 2.
Thank you, Len! Your response is creative–and good for beagles.
August 7, 2020 at 11:00 pm
Good story, Len!