by Perry Hubbard

Created on: November 09, 2010

I WANTED A DOG AND I GOT A FISH!

I’ve begged and I’ve begged

And I’ve wished and I’ve wished

I wanted a dog and all I got was a FISH!

I guess you could say it’s a pretty nice fish.

It might be a Gourami, it might be a Guppy.

There’s one thing I know, it sure ain’t a puppy!

I’ve done all my homework, 

Cleaned my room and washed dishes

I’ve worked hard for a dog and I only got fishes!

It won’t wear a leash

It can’t beg or roll over

There’s no way at all that he’ll answer to Rover!

It can’t chase a ball

Or lick on my face

It just swims around in its watery space.

Wait just a minute

My Mom says to me

There’s a lot more than fun when you have a puppy.

He’s got to be trained

To potty outside

And when we are gone he has to be tied.

He’ll chew up your slippers

And so much hair will he shed

And then there’s the problem of how much he is fed.

Mommy PLEASE, I’ll learn how to vacuum

And I’ll go in bare feet

And it shouldn’t be hard to find something he’ll eat!

But, he’ll whine and he’ll bark

And keep us up through the night

And you never will know who he might bite!

But a fish is so boring

I can’t watch it no more

If I stare any longer my eyes will get sore!

Dad had dogs

I think more than a few

I want to ask him what he thinks we should do.

Jill has a puppy

And Becky Johnson has two!

If I don’t get a dog I don’t know what I will do!

Now, you’re starting to get silly

Stop your hissying fit

That’s all of the crying that I will permit.

Yes, your Dad had dogs

Way back when on the farm

But not in the house where they do all their harm.

Ask Jill and ask Becky

How much time do they spend

Actually looking after their four-legged friends?

Between dance and gymnastics

And skating and ball

It’s a wonder they can find any time at all!

You too spend so much time

Doing all of this stuff

Sharing time with your puppy will never be enough.

I’ll ask the girls

You can ask their Moms too

For the care of their dogs, what do they do?

Ask if you want,

I’m not changing my mind

Not in their houses, our dog will they find.

There’s Hillary and Patrick

And Haley and Paul,

Not one of them has a puppy at all.

We can keep up this fighting

All day and all night

But it will never prove which one of us is right.

I don’t want to say,

“I’m your Mom this is it!

No more on the subject will I permit!”

I’ve tried to be fair.

All my reasons you’ve got

Now all of this bickering just has to stop.

You’re a very young girl

There’s lots of time yet

For you to decide when a dog you can get.

When you have your own house

And your own children, too

It’ll be your turn to decide what you should do.

I’m so sorry my dear

I won’t give in to your wishes.

Maybe we’ll go out later and add to your fishes.

Well, okay, Mother, I guess I

Must listen to all of that

But, tell me Mom, what do you think of a cat!?

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