Beware the Festive Dog

 

 

I picked the following poem out of William Least-Heat Moon's travel tale River-Horse. Author unknown. It came from 1930s Japan:

Beware The Festive Dog

At the rise of the hand of the policeman, stop rapidly.
Do not pass him by or otherwise disrespect him.

When a passenger of the foot
Hove in sight, tootle the horn trumpet
To him melodiously at first.
If he still obstacles your passage
Tootle him with vigor And express the word of mouth
The warning "Hi! Hi!"

Beware the wandering horse
That he shall not take fright
As you pass him.
Do not explode
The exhaust box at him.
Go soothingly by
Or stop by the roadside
Till he pass away.

Give big space
To the festive dog
That makes sport
In the roadway.
Avoid entanglement of dog
With your wheel spokes.

Go soothingly on the grease-mud,
As there lurk the skid demons.
Press the brake of the foot
As you roll around corners
To save the collapse
And tie up.

 

 

 

So there