He came into the bird-shop where I stood —
A hulking giant, monumental, grim,
A paragon of muscular manhood.
“What is sold here,” I thought, “that could serve him?”
His heavy brow, his grat, prognathic jaw
Spoke brooding truculence; he wore no vest;
And, where his shirt flared one side, I saw
The matted hair upon his mighty chest.
I thought of Gog, Carnera, Hercules,
As he stood by me, breating like a gale.
“What can he want,” I wondered, “‘mid all these.
Pet dogs, birds, goldfish offered here for sale?
Bulldogs at least.” The parrots watched him, tense;
The yelping pups grew still to see him pass;
All sensed his presence, dominant, immense.
Even the goldfish goggled thro’ their glass.
He scared me. Hastily I made my choice
And paid my cash. Yet loitered by the door,
Longing to hear the thinder of that voice
Rumble and break into a sudden roar;
Longing to know, amongst these playful folk —
Pups, parrots, love-birds — what could be his need.
Sharks? Panthers? … Then his piping treble spoke:
“Please, miss, three pennorth of canary seed.”
(C J Dennis)
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Based on Topics: Mind Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Birds Poems, Dogs Poems, Pets PoemsBased on Keywords: panthers, sensed, yelping, paragon, sharks, dominant, goldfish, grat, pups, hulking, gog