Casabianca (as told by the Captain’s dog)

The dog stood on the burning deck
Beside the captain’s son.
The canine was prepared to dive,
But the boy was having none

Of it. “I cannot leave my post!”
The dog was not delighted:
“You’d better scram, my little man,
“Before you are ignited.”

“My Dad said stay and I obey,”
The loyal son cried, boasting.
“Your father’s dead!” the dog did yelp,
“I can smell the fucker roasting!”

The dog tried one more warning woof
To flee the burning barque.
The boy, a dolt, mixed up the quote:
“Your bite’s worse than your bark!”

The clever dog escaped the flames,
The kid went up the flue.
The moral: when it comes to fire,
Your dog knows more than you.