Tinkering on the edge

 I shall hear no more that barking sound

That regular Bark Ode

Of Tinker, whose chimes like

Bells in Church tolled down the road

Every time a child walked passed

On his way to school

Or at an unsuspecting walker

Who walked too close to his window, the fool!

Well no more shall I see his face

Grinning back at me

Dark and imposing

Some inner ferocity

Like an Egyptian God

Dog headed deity

Standing out of his sarcophagus

Oh Mummy! I need a wee!

But  he really is charming

Yes, what a merry soul is he!

Cola black, soul black

Darkness found a light

In the bright-eyed Becky

A star of fairy night

Sparkling like a sparkler

Fluffy, buoyant woman

Exuberant, enthusiastic

Bubbly and fun

And so they were together

And Tinker was no longer glum

He and her together

All was right under the sun

Find shoe box by the sea

Let the sea dogs howl

On the island of the canary

Where the kissing winds are foul

But dunes in June are wonderful

Fundamental abundiflora all

And Just look to the summer wall

Of heat and sun

Let's not think of winter

Let's not contemplate the fall

Adam and his apple

are far from it all

He's now got his mother

She's got her baby back

And all the seaweed in the sea

Could never re-shuffle her pack 

Dogs alive

These are the dogs of war

Little Chihuahuas, with their spirits so Ya Ya

Careering headlong into the fray

And other Jack Russells that go for your ankles

And can bring a lion to bay

German schnauzers with sausage dog trousers

Short in the leg, but not in the tooth

And husky sheep dogs who cough near to dusk

And end up lying down on white truth

 These are the dogs of war

You say

Let them loose

Let them run away

They were born to have fun

Wild dogs on the run

Oh let them loose, let them loose 

Cocker spaniel beagles

Whose ears point up

When they hear their queen shuffling

In her slippers and cup

Of cocoa ready

For a lie on the rug

Or a cool collection of the latest little pups

 

And dogs die in hot cars

Don't you know

And a dog is for life not for Christmas

And stray dogs fall foul of criminals

On the prowl

So, keep them home and wrapped up

 

German shepherds make police dogs

They can sniff a drug deal out

From five thousand yards

At airports, they are trained as land sweepers

And ready with spider senses to follow up hard

 

Labrador and Golden retrievers

Make such wonderful believers

They can make a blind man see, if you follow after me

They say I'll guide you home to your happy family

 

But there are those who will turn up their noses

Like Dalmatians with coach dog special poses

Who think themselves better than the queen of red letter

And whose furry pelts Cruella tried to get her

 

But best of all are the Socrates, who think with a tilt of their heads

They remember the names of the toys you have said

And can go and collect them for you faster than

Postman Fred

 

These are the philosopher kings of dogs

They soar intellectually above the others like Gods

While your average might know only two words

These Descartes and Aristotles are on ten at least

So never sit down to a game of chess with one

Unless you're half-witted or you'll lose your crown

And Dogs will rule humans in a world upside down

Where black is white, and a dog can frown

Truffle hunting

 The dogs are like my mistresses

So mysterious and dark

And they fall like shadows ministries

As the dogs will lose their bark

And fallow land of signatories

Welcomed in the park

I call you Kate

You take me late

Into the foaming spark

Smothered in apostrophies, and epiphanies that are

Cheering as in race horse stands

Where Greyhounds battle hares

And calligraphic letters

fall

Under bed steads

Some say a name to me

And the roses turn their heads

I listen to her heart beat

I call the telephone

And failing this, I am amiss

And wish just to go home

There once was a life of surfing

And one of quarrel road

Where quarries quaked with hard rock cakes

Trapped between sea and stone

And chattering fish in calesthenics

bite of more than they can chew

And it all rolls under the waves which wash

Over me and you

Can you hear their barking,

These dogs that howl and pone

In pow-wow smoke signal talk

Whispers on the bone

And blankets that could smother

Instead lift and hone

Our eyes from blinking tears of onions

Or guests we've never known

Crying in the disco,

In the retro lounge

Tears fill the piss bowl

And turn the white milk sour

The dogs are barking at the crow

And in a hedge the fox does cower

While men upon electricity pylons

Turn on and off the power

I should welcome this and that

I should suck and hack

But the cough sweet I chew on

Is like a lyre heard true

The fences now are flaking

The towers crumble down

And sounds which are heard

Down the street are only the dogs

now