Bertie Beagle’s dinner party had not been a success.

Spencer Spaniel had poured scorn on the minestrone. Hattie, a hotheaded dachshund, had shot his marrowbone risotto down in flames. He’d had to get the Hoover out to get rid of them.

Bertie enjoyed his cigarette that night. He’d earned it.

Brian Ross is a nurse and low-fi poet, fighting a losing battle against middle age. His motto is “So little time, so many biscuits…” Read more at maungybadger.blogspot.co.uk.