My brother and I sang the Buster Brown song
When we FaceTimed today; we both knew
Every word about Buster and Tige,* who belong,
As the jingle explains, in a shoe.
Certain memories stick and remain in my head
From my childhood, a lifetime ago,
And though I can’t remember a book I just read,
This old tune, from the 50’s, I know.
It’s amazing to me how the brain seems to file
Certain info that I can retrieve,
But it runs out of room and so, after a while,
Newer facts pay a visit, then leave.
*Buster Brown was a children’s shoe company.
Buster was a little boy and Tige was his dog.
A picture of them both was inside the shoe.
Army service done, I was heading home
My Ma and friends I'd missed and Tige my dog
Served my three years never again I'd roam
I got off the bus, there was a dense fog.
And lying there was Tige my canine friend
Tige led the way, I started to follow
Strange way he went turning left at the bend
A dam was being built, I did not know.
I reached home, Ma was rocking in her chair
Said she'd wrote me about how Tige had died
Her words shocked me all I could do was stare
But I'd just seen him, Ma wouldn't have lied.
Safe route had gone but Tige had led the way
She said Tige had died three years to the day
Written on 26 September 2018.
Inspired by 'Gentleman ' Jim Reeves classic song 'Old Tige'
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