Dog Star
Generic dog dog-paddles about in a veritable bog
of puppy dog talesand yarns, 
piddles at every trunk
in a forest of family trees
and wanders in    an ancient fog 
of canine myths from Sirius, 
that star companion of the great hunter, Orion, 
to Cerberus guarding Hades' din 
to Lassie and Rin-Tin-Tin to    
the indiscreet mut on the street 
whose name is mud 
to all those blue-ribbon   
pups and dogs with winner's cups 
owned by pedigree pedagogues always out for    
blood. 
In fact, you won't find mankind without 
the canine kind: 
the dogs of herds and birds, 
hunters and huskies that work, 
guard dogs that never shirk    
their duty, 

dogs who chase for cops
and sniff out booty,
dogs that race the rabbit
around a track even though they never nab it,
little dogs with nothing more      
to do than lay in a lady's lap and nap, 
all dogs who heel if sometimes nipping      
and the lazy cur content to flop and w atch 
just flipping its tail, even dogs      
that botch the art of host and fail when it counts the most and sail into      
your guest's crotch or mount a leg no matter how much you beg
and finally-you  bet-persist in doing the old sniff test
until your pet becomes a pest.      
Yet,even then, when falling short
your dog in its court of last resort with you and your kith and kin      
retains its classic canine cliche and remains, as we say, best friend.
And      
so, the dog star that rises highest in the sky above the rest, 
the one that      
meets and beats the test of Best-in Pack will simply always be 
the dog you      
love and the dog that loves you back. 

Poem by Dr.Warren Molton

published in a letterpress book by Marie Mason and Warren Molton,
      the Canine Kind for more info, or to order this book, check out gifts at
Bella and Company