Bob Dylan’s Teenage Poem About A Dog Is For Sale

In 1964, Bob Dylan sang, “I’m a poet, and I know it, hope I don’t blow it!”

A poem written by a 16-year-old Robert Zimmerman (a.k.a. Bob Dylan) is currently up for auction at Christie’s until June 23, where it is expected to fetch up to 15,000 dollars. The poem Little Buddy concerns the tragic fate of Dylan’s dog. He wrote the poem in the summer of 1957 for his summer camp newspaper at Herzl Camp in Webster, Wisconsin.

If it was going to be set to music, the tune to Dylan’s “John Brown” works just fine.

Here it is, in its entirety:

Little Buddy

Broken hearted and so sad
Big blue eyes all covered with tears
Was a picture of sorrow to see

Kneeling close to the side
Of his pal and only pride
A little lad, these words he told me

He was such a lovely doggy
And to me he was such fun
But today as we played by the way

A drunken man got mad at him
Because he barked in joy
He beat him and he’s dying here today

Will you call the doctor please
And tell him if he comes right now
He’ll save my precious doggy here he lay

Then he left the fluffy head
But his little dog was dead
Just a shiver and he slowly passed away

He didn’t know his dog had died
So I told him as he cried
Come with me son we’ll get that doctor right away

But when I returned
He had his little pal upon his knee
And the teardrops, they were blinding his big blue eyes

Your too late sir my doggy’s dead
And no one can save him now
But I’ll meet my precious buddy up in the sky

By a tiny narrow grave
Where the willows sadly wave
Are the words so clear you’re sure to find

Little Buddy Rest In Peace
God Will Watch You Thru The Years
Cause I Told You In My Dreams That You
Were Mine

Bobby Zimmerman

Stop by Christie’s and see what other Dylan memorabilia they have for sale.