It happened the day he brought in a dead rabbit
clenched in his jaws, blood still dripping.
We tried in vain to catch him and grab it,
Alas! He ran, snarling, gnashing and ripping

through fur, flesh, muscle and bone. Devouring
like a ravenous beast at a hideous feast.
Teeth tearing, jaws snapping, eyes glowering.
Our puppy, our faithful, a demon unleashed.

The neighbour, Miss Fairbanks, eventually found him
asleep at the end of her vegetable patch.
We didn’t know whether to pat or impound him.
Miss Fairbanks and him were a perfect match!

“Get it moved,” she shrieked, “or I’ll call in the warden,”
baring her teeth like a Rottie in drag.
We circled our puppy, forming a cordon.
Miss Fairbanks was such a formidable hag.

We lifted the dog, still asleep, from the ground.
His eyes were still bulging and tongue hanging out.
It was weird as he was such a sociable hound
to suddenly act like a canine lout.

Then, under the hedge, we spied a packet.
POISON, and most of the contents were gone.
Miss Fairbanks was guilty, we knew, of this racket.
She stood, with a satisfied grin, looking on.

Our puppy recovered his terrible trauma.
Three days in the vet and a sizeable bill.
We gifted Miss Fairbanks a pie with some karma,
for finding our puppy and showing goodwill.

We watched her that week, with her teeth, killing rabbits
and running around eating snails and rats.
What on earth could have caused her to take up such habits?
We’re naughty. She’ll live, much subdued and that’s that.