Once I had a dog that wagged its tail. br Barked night and day till the neighbours complained. br P’lice came round, put the dog down. br Dog don’t bark no more. br br Bought me a budgie that sang in a cage. br Caught bird flu one fine day. br Croaked and coughed, feathers dropped off. br Budgie no sing song. br br Next one I had was a sleek, black cat. br ‘long came a SUV and rolled him flat. br Guzzled loads of gas, squashed cat splat! br God sat twiddling thumbs. br br Got me a goldfish with Mick Jagger lips. br Two weeks later fish fell sick. br Skin turned white, scales peeled off. br Sank like a stone to the bottom of the bowl. br br The fish and the budgie, the moggy and the dog… br When it comes to pets I don’t have much luck. br The whole lot died, I can’t tell why, br But it makes me feel so blue. br br 191206br br Denys E. W.