Mother Doesn't Want a Dog

Mother doesn't want a dog.Mother says they smell,And never sit when you say sit,Or even when you yell.And when you come home late at nightAnd there is ice and snow,You have to go back out becauseThe dumb dog has to go.Mother doesn't want a dog.Mother says they shed,And always let the strangers inAnd bark at friends instead,And do disgraceful things on rugs,And track mud on the floor,And flop upon your bed at nightAnd snore their doggy snore.Mother doesn't want a dog.She's making a mistake.Because, more than a dog, I thinkShe will not want this snake.

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Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace