I’ll match your poem with another applicable one I remember from my childhood:
The Duel
by Eugene Field
The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
T’was half past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t’other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat
(I wasn’t there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)
The gingham dog went “Bow-wow-wow!”
And the calico cat replied “Mee-ow!”
The air was littered, an hour or so,
With bits of gingham and calico,
While the old Dutch clock in the chimney-place
Up with its hands before its face,
For it always dreaded a family row!
(Now mind: I’m only telling you
What the old Dutch clock declares is true!)
The Chinese plate looked very blue,
And wailed, “Oh, dear! what shall we do!”
But the gingham dog and the calico cat
Wallowed this way and tumbled that,
Employing every tooth and claw
In the awfulest way you ever saw—
And oh! How the gingham and calico flew!
(Don’t fancy I exaggerate—I got my news from the Chinese plate!)
Next morning, where the two had sat
They found no trace of dog or cat;
And some folks think unto this day
That burglars stole that pair away!
But the truth about that cat and pup
Is this: they ate each other up!
Now what do you really think of that!
(The old Dutch clock it told me so,
And that is how I came to know.)
On a related topic, has anyone seen or hear about a recent Obama appearance where he took questions from high school kids? One kid asked what he would do with the space program. I am a space enthusiast so this is of much interest to me. I read the transcript and was stunned at how inarticulate this supposedly great orator handled the question. He spoke a lot of nice platitudes, as always. But he stumbled several times. Said “you know” a number of times. That hardly sounds confident. He said the space program has always inspired people so he is a big space supporter. Or so he claimed. SAid after he becomes president then he and advisers will decide on which course of action is best for NASA. That was hardly an inspiring answer. I guess maybe he doesn’t mind blowing off some votes in FL and TX.