She took her ideas to the esplanade
On Sundays for a breath of salty air.
All the time they kept dragging on their leads,
Frenzy curbed by imminent suffocation
And whining like mythical dogs of Fo,
Though whenever they were given their freedom
They were revealed as the slaves of their noses,
Ignoring all commands that they return
To the confines of her Guide to Philosophy.
Fergus Allen
Most recent published collection: 'Gas Light & Coke', Dedalus Press, Dublin, 2006
