cuffing buttersnout

copenhagen in 1840 was a marvel
people walked in the future
and gathered to ravel the ideas
on gothersgade street number 16
lived the fundal family
and their yellow nosed dog buttersnout
the long-descended ancestor of a
viking street dog named vark
buttersnout was a good hearted dog
but she chewed and clawed
nipped at visitors and their children and
generally destroyed many fine
fundalisms snout first
mr. fundal worked at a glass factory
and wrote for the local socialist newspaper
one day he was meditating and he heard
the scuffling sound of a probing yellow nose
in the larder
disastrously, a big box of fine chocolates
a business gift to the danish minister
destroyed.
mr. fundal lost his temper
lashed out and cuffed buttersnout
he immediately regretted it
and felt a momentary despair
the pang of the supersoul over the
movements of the australopithecus
i have commited violence he thought
and am darkened thereof
first to hug poor buttersnout, who
could not bear to avoid the demon cocoa
being a dog and of vark
then to write a novel urging
in subplot themes that the measure
of supersoul is in the moment
when the cuff is held and transformed
divided by the actions one has taken
when in control of vulnerable lives
and away from all vision
buttersnout for her part loved the hug
and grew to be a dog that
understood enough to forbear
the central holiday entree
for the certain rewards of evening
when only the good dogs
got all the spoils
fat tummies skyward bliss eyed
by the fireplace
field-hopping dreams
twitching yellow snout
good dog.