it’s undeniable
Stanley isn’t reliable
when you let him off the lead
it’s pretty much guaranteed
he’ll run away at speed
and be reluctant to come back
even though you holler and hold out snacks
I’m sorry it’s just a fact

mostly it’s okay
there’s a field we go to each day
with plenty of hedges
around the edges
so you can let him off for stretches
and be reasonably confident
when he dashes off on a rabbit hunt
he won’t end up on another continent

he’s well behaved on the lead, though
nose as high as a dog at a dog show
so everyone gets the message
this hound is as clever & impressage
as a horse doing dressage
(ironically enough his nemesis is horses
if we see one we always cut our losses
and calculate some other courses)