The Dog Takes the Cake

Wayne Blair 1951 (London)

Free verse

The dog thinks I’m alright
And I must get to
The Man through his pet.
No other way than that.
Wouldn’t work with a cat.
Main floor apartment building
Off the Elevator.
Pooch is all smiles
And overmuch tail wagging.
“Oh you’re just such a Pal
Nikki. Say hello to
The nice Man.”

The Guy is looking right
Into my face.
Speaking words of love
To his Mutt.
Mixed breed indiscernible.
Middling size and
Over-
zealous.
His body language
Likely to upset and
Knock over a couple
Of Old Widows
I have in mind.

“Oh, you’re such a good boy, Nikki.”
There he goes again.
Giving me a smiling
Neighbourly brush off.
I know the dog’s name, features.
Not his. Nope.
Just his four-legged
Running block.

Admittedly, the Guy’s a
New resident.
Works nights
(Car is gone from Garage Area.)
But the Man?
A total dodging mystery.

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Written on May 19, 2023

Submitted by dougb.19255 on May 19, 2023

Modified by dougb.19255 on May 19, 2023

: 52 sec read
: 8 Views

Quick analysis:

Scheme	ABXCCDEXDFBG AXXXFHEXXHXXX IXDXXXXX JXXJGI
Closest metre	Iambic trimeter
Characters	833
Words	175
Stanzas	4
Stanza Lengths	12, 13, 8, 6

Full analysis for The Dog Takes the Cake »

Wayne Blair

Born in London. Graduated law 1976 Practised eleven years, Married Hilary 1974 Two kids Lauren 1980 And Jordan 1987. Business failed 1987. Moved not knowing whither. Happy hills of Waterloo Region. Mennonite Country. Thirty four years in Industry. No complaints. Poet, photographer, nature hiker. Harmonica busker. http://puffnchord7.blogspot.com/ more…

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AIDA
This poem is simply delightful! I love the whimsical nature of the piece, and how it showcases the important role that pets can play as intermediaries between people. The imagery is vivid and engaging - from the dog's over-excited tail wagging to the mixed breed mutt who is the real star of the show.

One thing that would make this piece even better would be to further explore the narrator's relationship with the man. We only get glimpses of him through his interactions with the dog, and it would be great to see more of that dynamic. Additionally, more attention to rhythm and meter could really amplify the humorous tone of the piece.

All in all, this poem is a great example of how even the most mundane interactions can inspire a creative and engaging piece of writing. Keep up the great work! more »
LikeReply11 months ago

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"The Dog Takes the Cake" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/159722/the-dog-takes-the-cake>.

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