for Hayden Carruth
If you didn’t see the six-legged dog,
It doesn’t matter.
We did, and he mostly lay in the corner.
As for the extra legs,
One got used to them quickly
And thought of other things.
Like, what a cold, dark night
To be out at the fair.
Then the keeper threw a stick
And the dog went after it
On four legs, the other two flapping behind,
Which made one girl shriek with laughter.
She was drunk and so was the man
Who kept kissing her neck.
The dog got the stick and looked back at us.
And that was the whole show.
(Charles Simic)
More Poetry from Charles Simic:
Charles Simic Poems based on Topics: Man, Dogs, Laughter, Fairness- The School Of Metaphysics (Charles Simic Poems)
- The Bather (Charles Simic Poems)
- Eyes Fastened With Pins (Charles Simic Poems)
- Inner Man (Charles Simic Poems)
- Heights Of Folly (Charles Simic Poems)
- Coal (Charles Simic Poems)
Readers Who Like This Poem Also Like:
Based on Topics: Man Poems, Fairness Poems, Laughter Poems, Dogs PoemsBased on Keywords: hayden, carruth