Soon after Christmas
The family was ‘round
To merrily eat
With the sun goin’ down
While singing and drinking
And waiting for food
Some of the cousins
Got into the mood
To break out the bocce
That some call pétanque
And start up a game
While swilling their plonk
The little ones gathered
And soon had joined in
Throwing the jack
And striving to win
The game was intriguing
The play filled with laughter
Hustling and jostling
And giggling after
‘Til one furry Spoodle
Arching his back
Sprang into action
And swallowed the jack
Now Zhen is his name
But not zen by nature
He’ll always love ya
‘Though others may hate ya
And Jack is a name
That many do savour
But this was a jack
With a memorable flavour
Straight down the gullet
Such hearty fun
Licking his lips
What had he done?
He’d ended the game
And now was in danger
Of getting a blockage
And needed a stranger
A talented bachelor
In veterinary care
To get back the jack
‘Fore it reached derrière
How best to find it?
Beyond narrow airway
Well, good Mike at Hawthorn
Whipped up an x-ray
Behold there it was
Round as can be
Lodged in the stomach
Of our puppy
And so off to SASH
Did little Zhen flow
Wondering how the
Extraction would go
Wonderfully well
A tisket, a tasket
Endoscope camera
Attached to a basket
Scooped it right out
From his sweet gut
As Spoodle slept
More human than mutt
Then he came to
Feeling just fine
Nurses relieved
He was over the line
Showered with cuddles
From all who were near
Hooray for Zhen!
The nurses did cheer
Humans are good
Right down to the letter
But everyone knows
That Spoodles are better
And now little Zhen
No longer dodgy
Has returned home to
A new game of bocce
Poem written by my husband, Adrian @adriantisato
