Comes down from the cabin
middle of the week,
eyes sharp for John Law,
no sticker, insurance,
plates are four years old,
One of the boys got a regular job,
running lines to Carolina,
back and forth, on the road,
different things in the bed of the truck,
under the old green tarp.
and her at home pregnant again,
always running off,
but never goes.
Old Dale,
came home
after being in the war,
all those years
not quite right
after drinking all that time.
Choked, veterans patched him up,
but he faded away,
just as full of dreams as he ever was.
Author notes
Written July 28th, 2003
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Look, I was never here. Well of course I was here but you couldn't tell.
Springseen it is spelled, though I do miss that Spider and swung by his porch the other day to tell him so. Anyway, odd isn't it? To think of this as being called "American" -- I just wrote to someone who I was exchanging some Poem crits with - as he was telling me that his use of "misty mountain" of which I said "could be cliche" he said -- was intended to be cliche and I completely missed it. He being of the British sort I remarked back that often I have "missed" when commenting on works by those from the U.K. -- their sense of irony careening over my head I suppose. Their sense of humor different even. This reads American says the man from Wales up there --
jarred me into thinking about that. American. Yes. It does I suppose and my aren't you good at it... Just as full of dreams as he ever was. Heartbreaking and good.
You have a lot of poems here. 400 as a matter of fact in case you didn't know.
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Yeah, liked it a lot (predictably). You've missed the guitar chords out though
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Ah I see, you are a fan of Springstein ?
That's my veiw anyhow seems to be in that vein of writing, almost as though the American dream has taken a backseat and the real country America has come forward to the plate ready to swing.
I like 'Hometown' and 'Downbound train' (?)
Oh yeah and 'Dry County' by Bon Jovi
Anyway started to ramble. I got some real real America imagery from this, off to play some Guthrie now.
Jules. -
I am the first to admit, I have the strangest thoughts sometimes. This reminded me of Stephen King. I dont know why, but it did. It just seemed to have his style to it somehow, which is a good thing. You know when in his books he goes off slightly in the characters mind and it gets a bit abstract. Thats the sense i mean. Im not explaining myself very well am I? Hmmm nevermind. I liked this. Drinking time can be dangerous, but yet so addictive.
Lisa x -
Oh yea....
" and her at home pregnant again,
always running off,
but never goes. " that says so much in such a unique way... very cool...
and i adore this line;
"after drinking all that time."
Brilliant poem, one of my favs of yours i think :-)
~ Wendy
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I found this one to be bitter-sweet. ~~~~Val
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