30d30w: word 17

birthday  

secret whistles,
fiery code…

              nothing.
happy wrapping
hides the empty

         cage. 

something whispers…

furry coat,

              thumping

Hee hee...nothing/something/thumping! Thanks, Buffy.

It COULD still be a dog, but since one of my earliest relationships with a character was with Thumper, I don't know.  I really tried hard to go with Diane's excellent grinning, but it doesn't seem time yet for the Liver of the Poem (see Irene Latham's advice) to pull himself out of his empty birthday doldrums and start putting 2 and 2 together.  He--and I'm realizing that I've been picturing a boy since about Word 5--needs more clues.  Of course, someone or something else could do the grinning as well (although I don't believe that rabbits grin).  But neighbors and siblings do....

I hope everybody's still having fun here--I sure am.  And don't forget to go see the progress of the Progressive Poem over at  No Water River today--fun by the line instead of by the word!