T’was the Night Before Dog-mass
Author: Admin | Filed under: Christmas, Dog Writing & Poems Monday Dec 24,2007Twas the night before Dog-mas,
when all through the pound
not a puppy was yelping,
or playing around;
Our leashes were hung
by our kennels with care,
in hopes that St. Bernard would soon find us there;
Puppies were curled up, all snug in their beds,
while visions of doggie-treats danced in their heads;
Lulu in her collar,
on somebody’s lap,
had tucked in her tail
for a midwinter’s nap’
When outside the room
there arose such a clatter,
my ears perked right up
to hear what was the matter.
Away to the window I jumped up with glee,
and barked at the shadows
that were cast by a tree.
The glow from the moon changed night into day,
and started me thinking,
“Woof, woof! Time to play!”
When, what with my puppy-dog
eyes did I see,
But a splendid dog-sled,
led by doggies like me,
With a regal furred driver commanding, not stern.
I yelped to the others,
“That must be St. Bern!”
More rapid than greyhounds our saviors they came,
and we barked and we howled,
and called them by name:
“There’s Duchess!
There’s King!
fat Chance,
and small Buffy!
On Fido! On Scooter!
On, Rover and Scruffy!
And then in an instant, I heard at the door
the scratching and clawing
of each little paw.
As I pulled in my nose, and was turning around,
Through the door St. Bernard
came in with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his tail,
his wood cask adorned
with an icing of hail;
A bag of chew-toys he had brought in with him,
and his mouth was turned up in
what looked like a grin.
His eyes how they twinkled!
his ears flopped, how merry!
His coat shone like crystal
his nose like a cherry!
His big sloppy mouth was drawn up like a bow,
and the fur on his chin
was as white as the snow;
The stump of a bone he held tight in his teeth,
and his collar encircled
his neck like a wreath;
He had a large face and a furry, round belly
that shook when he barked,
like a bowl full of jelly.
He was fluffy and plump, a big, cuddly old pooch
and I laughed when I saw him
and gave him a smooch.
A wink of his eye and a wag of his tail;
we knew right away
we’d have homes
without fail.
He howled not a howl, but went straight to his deed,
and took down our leashes
that soon we would need.
He threw open the door,
and families stood there,
with children, all smiling,
and much love to spare.
He lept to his sled, to his team gave a call,
and away they all flew
as if chasing a ball.
But I heard him exclaim
as he chewed on a bone:
“Happy Dog-mas to all and to all a Good Home!”
written by Claudine Gandolfi
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