Max’s Tale

The Animal Service at old St. Chad’s
Is being held this New Year’s Day
And here I am in the car park
At the ‘Cock Inn’, so they say.
Four hundred legs are milling around
Humans and dogs, so far
But what are those five Alsatians
Doing so close to my car?

The horses have set off at quite a pace
I’m straining hard to see
My friend the Greyhound is trotting along
So proud of her pedigree.
This isn’t a race to the finish
As the Yorkies and Boxer showed
But why did Lady Doberman
Walk on my stretch of road?

I’ve settled down in the choir stalls
The church is like an Ark.
The Reverend prayed for us animals
And we gave the occasional bark.
I’m sharing my bowl of water
Now we’re out in the yard again
But why did that young Dalmatian
Look at me like that then?

We’ve all had photographs taken now
Though we didn’t exactly pose.
The ponies have left the footpath
In need of the garden hose.
There’s word of bacon sandwiches
And mulled wine along the way
For the Animal Service at old St. Chad’s
Has been held this New Year’s Day.