Sadly left dogless for six months or so,
We fully intended to get,
No need for discussion, it just had to be
Another Bu bitch for a pet.
Our plans went awry, as plans sometimes do,
But now there's no cause for regret,
For a three-year-old HE, of considerable charm,
By greatest good fortune we met.
The hens, cattle and sheep he was used to,
He took lambing quite in his stride,
Though we broke up his sleep with our antics
Like our 2 a.m. forays outside.
As he eagerly sniffed round our certified site,
We hastily had to decide
To issue stern warnings, that caravan awnings,
Were, for leg lifting rituals denied!
Jas, Joni, Jemma, Bess, Henry and Sam,
Jake, William and Blaise - just a few
Of the dogs who pay visits, (with owners in tow),
To this friendly and play loving Bu.
And our own working collies, our Bess and old Patch,
Plus eight-week-old Nell - she's brand new.
In some disapproval, he watches her race
Round the room with HIS ball and HIS chew.
If he cannot get out to give greetings,
He rises three feet in the air,
To land on the sideboard and hence to the sill,
Athletically balancing there.
The cattle grid rattle, when visitors come,
He hears long before we're aware.
Like his grandma before him, he loves to look out,
And make all goings-on his affair.
© Sally Preston 1993