Stanley in latex hat and scrubs
skips back when the artery bursts
wags his tail and shrugs
solemnly holds up his surgical gloves
flaps his ears affably
while a spaniel suctions the cavity

Stanley in a diving suit
pitches backwards off the boat
doggypaddle floats
then paws it down the guide rope
forty metres to the wrecked caravel
his barks as bubbles in parallel

Stanley in a pinstripe suit
queues with the pack for the daily commute
puts his iBone 10 on mute
takes out a hankie, blows his snoot
closes his eyes, yawns
dreams of chasing balls on lawns

Stanley in a pilot’s hat
salutes the marshals with the bats
guns the engines, checks the flaps
flicks this and that
then gives one absolutely devastating sneeze
which means crew prepare for take off please

Stanley in an astronaut’s helmet
floats out through the space compartment
to take care of his specialist department
which is exterior marking management
lifts a leg, opens a flap
pisses on the solar arrays then scrabbles back