Dog Poems: Listening to BBC Radio 4 driving back from a walk with my dogs, my ears pricked up at the news that there'd been a poet-in-residence at Battersea Dogs' Home, London.
Steve Tasane walked through the doors of Battersea late in 1999 and was there to celebrate the 140th year of the Home.
Founded in 1860 by Mary Tealby, the aims of Battersea Dogs' Home are as relevant today as they were then: to rescue, re-unite, rehabilitate and re-home London's lost and unwanted dogs and cats.
I thought it would be nice to feature a few of Steve's dog poems written during this period.
Before we do that, I'd like to link to some other dog poems that have caught my eye.
Steve Tasane Flossie You're the perfect terror, you're a cuddle-trap
You're the cat's whiskers, you're a whispered yap
You're a whirlwind whisking me away to Oz
You're a dancer like Muhammad Ali was
You're the Queen of Sheba, Her Mighty Highness
You're a puddle of fun in a desert of dryness
You're Chaplin's waddle, Marty Feldman's eyes
You're Cagney's mouth and you're Cagney's size
You're the last gold leaf on the Autumn trees
You're hot gossip in a swirling breeze
You're a rumble of dissent that sparks rebellion
You're the splash of colour when we switch the telly on
You're a burglar alarm that can't stop beeping
You're a zooming broom that won't stop sweeping
You're a raging rag, a hairy tornado
You're carpet crumbs on a lump of Playdo
You're a famished midgit at a three course feast
You're the Top Dog, at the very least
You're a goggle-eyed gargoyle with a baked bean heart
You're Minnie the Minx, you're Butthead, you're Bart
You're scandal in a ribcage, a riot on paws
You're a wiggling tiddler but you think you're Jaws
You're a brittle jewel on a bit of string
You're the atom at the heart of everything
You're the Mini nipping through a juggernaut jam
You're the God of Dogs, the Little I Am
You're sliced bread, plus the bits between
You're a Miniature Yorkie, the canine Queen
Steve Tasane The Dogs Of Battersea Dogs' Home (exerpts from)
Here's an England player about to score
Oliver Twist asking for more
Here's Oliver Reed after a night on the booze
and Screaming Jay Hawkins howling the blues
Here's Tyson the Dobie who wants to have fun
and Grobble the Greyhound who refuses to run
Here's Caesar the Lurcher who's looking for love
and Herman the Yorkie who thinks he's the Guv
Here's Terry the Terrier trembling in terror
Toying with a Toyota was a terrible error
Who's laughing? Leonardo the Labrador, that's who
Cos Sidney the Shih-tzu is teaching Shiatzu
And here's Steve performing the complete poem at Battersea.
And Finally . . . I'm a lean dog, a keen dog, a wild dog, and lone;
I'm a rough dog, a tough dog, hunting on my own;
I'm a bad dog, a mad dog, teasing silly sheep;
I love to sit and bay the moon to keep fat souls from sleep.
Irene MacLeod
I'm quite a fan of eBay and I did a search for Dog Poetry in the UK and US stores. I was pleased to discover dog poetry anthologies and collections as well as individual poems printed on cards and even available as part of a cross stitch kit. Of course there's no guarantee any of this will be available today but it might be worth checking out.
