the singing dog

when the dog began to sing
the people ran amok
a man shinned up a flagpole
a woman chewed her sock

children danced the drainpipe
a policeman robbed a bank
the mayor and all the councillors
fired doughnuts from a tank

the queen embraced the dustman
the clergy showed their knees
librarians in their thousands
begged mercy from the trees

the dog sang in the market
it didn't understand
the panic and predicament
it'd loosed upon the land

its head had always been
a lot where songs were parking
but when it tried to sing
the noise came out like barking

maybe this time the air
crystal-clear since rain
stripped raucousness to leave
such a melodious strain

none could bear the sweet
enchantment of their ears
dogs sing; then pigs could vote
such an avalanche of fears

they called the army in
to ring the singing dog
with cannon mortar small-arms
they shot it dead as a log

but when the log stood up
and sang a christmas song
the people fought themselves
over what was right and wrong

so harsh and hoarse they came
(to beasts within their hearking)
when they joined in the song
the noise came out like barking