PADDY
Oh noble beast of red and brown
You don't ask much of me:
A cosy place to settle down,
A bowl of food for tea.
And what do I get in return?
Warm greeting every day:
When I walk back in through the door
My caring you repay.
You may not be obedient:
When I say 'sit' you stand.
But you are in many ways
So statuesque and grand.
Of all the dogs in all the world
There's none for you I'd swap.
Although you've got some silly ways,
You're still cream of the crop.
Sometimes you make me angry
With your demanding ways.
But then I think of how you
Brighten up my days.
The way that you respond to me
When I say certain things,
Like "Do you want a walk?"
Pleasure to me brings.
Many dogs, when they go out
Behave, it seems, much better.
But if you want a robot dog,
Don't get an Irish Setter!
Copyright Peter Jones 1989