My father told me, many years ago,
About a friend he’d had when he was young,
And all the silly songs that they had sung
Whenever one of them was feeling low.

He shared a lot of anecdotes and tales
About the silly things the friend would do
To please my dad. For instance, at the zoo,
She’d tease the python; Dad would count its scales.

The friendship lasted seven years or so,
Until my father joined the army. Then,
They failed to keep in touch; they had their duty.
And after four years, Dad came home to show
His buddy all his medals. But in vain.
“Sir, why?” I asked. “She’d died—that rotten beauty!”