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The wind - how it blew!  The rain - how it rained!

It blew and beat down on the shop window panes.

    A man and his dog stood out on the street

    To sell  '*The Big Issue' to all he did meet.

 

The black and white dog soon ran up and down,

Greeting each person who walked through the town.

    The man sold his Big Issues – we all did our bit -

    But his four-legged friend was making a hit.

 

'Ah!  Look at this dog that runs to and fro!

He’s wagging his tail and saying ‘Hello’.

      Hello my darling.  Oh you’re cold and you’re wet!

      I’ll pop into the pet shop for a little jacket.'

 

'There you are darling.  That’s lovely and warm!

It will keep you quite snug in this bad winter storm.'

    The little dog thought, as he wagged his small tail:

    'My handsome good looks mean that I never fail.'

 

Next day people passed and somebody sighed:

'That jacket’s no good.  He’s warm but not dry.'

     So they bought him another one coated in oil:

     'We don’t want his other nice jacket to spoil.'

 

The dry dog went round with a grin on his face.

He ran to his friends for a pat and embrace.

    They saw he’d no bed but slept on the street,

     So they bought him a bed.  Wasn’t that sweet? 

 

He had first a new jacket and then a warm bed.

'It's just what I want,' the little dog said.

     He thought to himself: 'What friends I have here!

     They certainly love me, it’s ever so clear!'

 

Next day others spoke to his master again:

'That bed is no good!  It soaks up the rain.'

    'We’ll go to the pet shop and buy him another.

     We know just the thing for he really needs cover.'

 

The very next day when folks walked down the street,

The small dog appeared and laid toys at their feet.

     'He wants us to throw them.  Oh isn’t he sweet?'

      Their shopping forgotten, they played in the street.

 

The clever dog knew that his tricks were appealing

And was perfectly clear human hearts he was stealing.

     They bought him a dish and good things to eat

     And more toys and clothes appeared on the street.

 

With biscuits in pocket, I joined all the rest.

That day, all in tartan, he looked smartly dressed.

     He came running to me, tail wagging to greet,

     Then dropped very neatly a meat pie at my feet.

 

To be truthful the meat from inside had all gone

When he’d eaten his breakfast much earlier on.

      He decided that kindness should not be one way

      And the pastry was saved for when I came to play.

 

I can’t be quite sure what Big Issues were sold.

We hoped that the man hadn’t suffered from cold.

     When his time in our town sadly came to an end,

     How we missed this nice man and his four-legged friend.

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Copyright on all my poems

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* The Big Issue:   The Big Issue is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people, or individuals at risk of homelessness, the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.  In fact the people who sell The Big Issue do well for hospitality in our town.  Many are given things other than money for The Big Issue and I know our church cafe and many cafes etc give the people hot food and drinks.  

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