Twinroc Slaboda Poetry

The Big Day

by Paul Slaboda

Drum roll please because today's the day.

You're finally here to take me away,

To my new home and a new lifestyle,
And each day I promise to try to bring you a smile,

I promise to give you unconditional love,
As your adoring gift from heaven above,

I'm just a puppy. If I wet where I shouldn't,

Please remember that I tried to hold it, but I just couldn't.

I'll try hard to please and be what you want me to be.
Unconditional love is your gift from me.

The Ugly Duckling

by Paul Slaboda

When we were kids we were often told
'Bout the ugly duck who grew up a swan of beauty untold.

So it is with certain Cardis, whose many stages

Confound the gurus and the all- knowing sages.

The advice you should heed is

Believe in yourself when you make that litter pick.
Your opinion is at least as good as the "experts",

Which more often shows they don't know a lick!

The Secret of Winning

by Paul Slaboda

Why do some win and others never do?
What is it you do or know,

That others miss as they go from show to show?

The answer is easy, not at all difficult.
Those folks need to grasp

That it's really their fault.

It starts with what they choose to display,
And like any sport, takes practice to play.

I mean practice to play WELL,
Not to do the basics the results will be missing.

Your efforts won't ring the Bell!

So start with better dogs, and invest time in training.
You'll be surprised how fast the ribbons will be raining!

	Ode to the Nationals (dedicated to Bob Caldwell) by Paul Slaboda It was the night before Nationals, and nothing was quiet. Dogs outside barking made it sound like a riot. Folks rushing, grooming, brushing, running about. Worrying about how tomorrow will all come out. There're always a few who've been there before. They're not worried . 'Cause they're known as hard core. You'll find them swapping stories. You won't have to look far. They'll be gathered at the hotel's "meeting room," We all know as THE BAR!!
	*Them Old Kentucky Cardis* by Paul Slaboda Yup, it's Specialty time, not in Holland with those tulips, But down in Old Kentucky where the drinks are mint juleps, Where the Derby is held every beautiful Spring, But this time, this June, Cardigans are THE thing. There'll be ribbons and trophies, losers and winners, There'll be drinks and fun and banquets and dinners. Then we'll all pack up to leave as we do every year, Taking home precious memories we will always hold dear. But take pause to remember those who left us this year, And remember with smiles, and don't shed a tear. For one day at the bridge we'll meet again with our Cardis, 'Til then we raise up a toast, not with juleps but BaCARDIS!
	Sorry, Wrong Number by Paul Slaboda The phone rang the other night. We'd like a Corgi if that would be all right. The voice continued to say, How much do you charge and could we get it today? It's the kid's birthday and it's a surprise birthday gift. If it's not too much we'll buy it right now. If you get my drift. We might like to have a litter when the kids are older, And believe it or not, the voice then got bolder. We both work all day so we'll just stick him out He'll have the whole yard and all day to run about, Just then, I interrupted as I grew "nummer" and "nummer", Sorry, but you've reached the wrong number.
	Colonial Cardis by Paul Slaboda for the 2005 Nationals in Massachusetts We've all heard of Revere's famous ride. And we're heading that way to our Country's Northeast side. It's the area where once a warning flashed bright. But, there'll be no ride, no lantern, only Cardis THIS night. They'll be everywhere and from everywhere. Yes, those Cardis of course. THIS time it's about Cardis, not some long ago horse!
	*Bark!!!* by Paul Slaboda Some poet most likely long dead, With high marks for wisdom that poet once said, There was never a horse that couldn't be rode, and there was never a cowboy that couldn't be throwed, When I think of that phrase I think as I muse, That there was never a dog that couldn't ever lose, Even the great ones sometimes miss the mark, And it's then that it's us, not the dog, known to bark!!!
	With Apologies to Willie and Julio by Paul Slaboda To all the dogs I knew before, That traveled in and out my door, They won, they lost, but more than this, They were there each day for that special kiss. Away went my problems. My mood was no longer blue. No friends or acquaintances quite so true. So for those who love dogs, it's not the losses or even the wins. It's the joy they bring, this breed called CARDIGANS!
	*The Cardis and the Ark* by Paul Slaboda The rains came down for forty days so we're told. Noah gathered all the creatures in those troubled days of old. By twos they were loaded into that great wooden Ark, But with all of the clatter, Noah couldn't hear the bark Of the pair of Cardigans caught in the tide, And it looked like they'd miss this historic ride. Then the sheep from their stall gave out with a bleat, Noah looked where they pointed as he sprang to his feet. He threw out a net and was able to save, Those two Cardigan Corgis from a watery grave. And from that day to this, Cardis follow the sheep, Paying back an old debt, and working hard just to keep The sheep safe from harm and secure in their pen, That's the end of this story, can I get an Amen?