Dog Country: Barks, Ballads, Bards is a bold new poetry collection by writer, publisher, and lawyer Marvin Aceron. In 27 poems, it explores the lives of dogs as mirrors of human memory, loss, love, and the politics of power.
At its center is Stev, a white Maltese whose portrait—rendered in pastel by artist Celeste Lecaroz—graces the cover. But this is not a book about a single pet. It is a book about many dogs, real and imagined, who inhabit history and home: Palomo, a black-spotted Dalmatian from Oriental Mindoro; Laika, the first dog in space; and Rocco, the late pug companion of former Vice President Leni Robredo.
The poem “For Stev, First World Dog” reflects on privilege, absurdity, and affection. “Dogressman,” a one-act verse play included in the book, presents a parliament of animals debating the uses and abuses of power. A provincial high school is now preparing to stage the piece.
Readers have responded with unexpected emotion, especially on the San Anselmo Press Facebook page, where selected poems have been shared. The poem “Palomo”—a recollection of a childhood dog’s tragic end—prompted writer Ireno Alcala to recall how his own dog, Brownie, died fending off a cobra.
Writer Marvin Aceron with his maltese dog Stev
Poet and novelist Genevieve L. Asenjo writes:
“Dog Country by Marvin B. Aceron (San Anselmo Press, 2025) is a feral delight: barks in precise language, ballads that don’t just sing but snarl, wiggle, and whimper, and bardic commentary on our nation’s absurdities, class hilarity, masculinity, and violence. Furious and playful in its use of allusions and references, the collection is a swag of satire’s power to be both soulful and savage.”
Dog Country is published by San Anselmo Publications. Printed copies are available for Php 180 (plus shipping) via the San Anselmo Publications, Inc. Facebook page. The e-book is downloadable for Php 60 at https://sananselmopress.gumroad.com/l/Dog.
For more information, message San Anselmo Publications, Inc. on Facebook.
