The Pugs

What I read is scandalous, my boy,

For it says that pugs are hobgoblins

With big bug eyes and wrinkly little faces,

And it says their pudgy bodies

Are like potatoes baking in the sun

And that they look like old men.

I will say the pattern of their faces

Reminds me of the pansy,

And they have dark spots upon the sides,

Sometimes in double pips:

This is not a matter of dispute.

There are some who check the stocks

And some who check the weather,

But my boy, he is wise. He checks the pugs:

The fawn, the ebon, the silver, the brindle,

The ever rare chocolate

And the pink-nosed pugbino,

The long-tongued veterans

And the diminutive debutantes,

The dark-eyed heart-thieves

And the grizzled one-eyed rescues,

The jet-setters and the yoga posers

And the backpackers in the mist, 

The pugs who live the drowsy life

And the pugs who dash the courses,

The joyful, the gullible,

The clueless and concerned.

There is a pug for every season

And every purpose under heaven,

And there is no tragedy so great,

No sorrow so confounding

That it cannot yet be tempered

By a timely, relevant pug.

Reviews

[barleygirl]

This is both hilarious & clever. I'm wild about this idea & how you executed it. This is dripping with attitude & sarcasm. I wish I could've thought of something half this witty, in my two dozen Halloween offerings! (((HUGS)))

[Casey Truax]

Thank you! The tone of this one is meant to be playful banter. My love for the breed, strange as they can be, is genuine.

[barleygirl]

I volunteered in a shelter for 6 yrs & did not realize how irresistible pugs were until I did that stint!

[Eilis]

I loved the voice in this. It’s snappy. I can see the speaker affecting an exaggerated accent and trying to hold back a smile. My daughter has a chihuahua and he has such unique personality. He seems almost human sometimes. We have come to think of chihuahuas like your poem describes pugs. The cure-all pick me up when you need it. She has asked me to get a chug which is a chihuahua and pug mix. After reading your poem, it seems that has the potential to be the greatest dog ever had, haha. I enjoyed this. It made me smile. The ‘my boy’ part was what really brought me in to the voice and my imagination carried it out from there. Good stuff.

[Casey Truax]

This poem was an anniversary gift for my boyfriend. Thank you very much.

[Eilis]

Is a lovely gift to receive poetry. I am sure it made him smile.