Another Great Dane Poem by Francie Lynch

You remember Byron from other poems
I told you about. You can look them up
Later. Most of what I said was true
(Same as Twain - Mark, not Shania) .
When I arrived for my visit, Byron's good friend,
Clive, was there, holding a cold one in his country hands,
Before the wood stove in Byron's man-cave.
They were talking about welding joints,
Or the pitch of a roof frame, or something
I know fucking squat about.
Both men, uneducated, but clever as hell.
Without writing down a measurement,
Or drawing a sketch,
They could build the Taj Mahal.
Like Plato's cave dwellers, they just see it, make it, nail it.
I brought up the problems my daughter is having
With her toy poodle,
And Clive joined in about his disobedient
Great Dane. I'll call him Laertes,
Though his real name is Butch.
Clive says Laertes never stops barking,
Shock collars don't work.
Treats were to no avail.
Obedience School only worked at school.
I could see Byron's hand on his chin,
Looking off and up to his left,
Out the window over the wood stove:
'Have you tried speaking Danish to him, ' asked Byron.
Enough said.