As most of you will know, myself and the apprentice belong to a Twitter group called the BT Posse. They are as fine a bunch of furs as you'll ever meet, and, through daily contact on Twitter, we become very fond of individual members, so fond, that we go out of our way to meet in real life. One such member was Hamish, a Glaswegian Border Terrier and stalwart of the BT Posse. Hamish and I met up for our own mini tweet-up a few years ago, a meeting memorable for Hamish's ‘take no nonsense’ attitude to swans, and the capacity of 'Her Indoors' and Hamish's lovely humum, Lynne, to talk for England and Scotland respectively. It was a memorable day.
Very sadly, our pal Hamish, went over the rainbow bridge a few days ago, and we were asked to compose a poem in his honour as part of a BT Posse tribute. We share it here, with thanks and admiration to Oscar's humum, Paula, for making the moving visual accompaniment to the poem, and to Flora's humum, Cara, for reading it out. We are not sure who had the hardist job. Anyway, Hamish Pal, I hope we've done you proud and much love to your humum. We know the emotional impact loosing a fur has, and we stand with you in your loss. We share the poem with love.
Ode to Hamish
Now every fur is special,
Our hupeeps know we’re best,
But occasionally a single dog
Stands out amongst the rest.
Not every fur can rock a cone,
Or start a stumping fashion,
Call out the truth on bourbons,
Add Irn Bru to the ration.
Can challenge Scotties on the tin,
Take Olympic sports by storm,
Throw the gauntlet down to fearsome swans,
And launch the Brunicorn.
It takes a fur of stature brave,
To measure public favour,
On topics controversial
Where a lesser dog would waver.
It needs a fashion icon
To strut a woolly sweater,
In hues and patterns dazzling,
No fur could do it better.
To show up for security
And see planes safely land,
Reassuring nervous passengers,
At patrolling he was grand.
But even reaching ripe old age,
Our tenure here is brief,
We leave a trove of memories,
But our hupeeps sharpest grief.
The rainbow bridge calls for all of us,
Its colours glowing bright,
And Marley gently beckons,
To sun puddle in the light.
No fur is ever left behind,
And no fur stands alone,
‘Cause every fur is running free,
To their forever home.
So we raise a glass of Irn Bru,
To Hamish, to a friend,
As finer fur, we’ll ever meet,
A BT Posse legend.
