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Little Sure Shot

Missing image

Little Sure Shot

Jacob and Susan, bore a child named Annie,
the smell of gunpowder, her daily perfume
and only five feet tall in her knee high boots,
the star of the show.

She was marksmen supreme, the star of the show
and could hit a dime thrown up in the air.
She put her soul into the very target.
Sharp shooting Annie.

People came from miles around to see her shoot.
Annie was Baptized by the name of Phoebe Ann;
her new name was given by Chief Sitting Bull.
Lil’ Annie Sure Shot.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, marksmen supreme;
was born in a cabin on the Ohio frontier.
Became a legend and the star of the show.
Annie never missed.

 

 

 

 

Author notes

Annie Oakley
For seventeen years Annie Oakley was the Wild West Show's star attraction with her marvelous shooting feats. At 90 feet Annie could shoot a dime tossed in midair. In one day with a .22 rifle she shot 4,472 of 5,000 glass balls tossed in midair. With the thin edge of a playing card facing her at 90 feet, Annie could hit the card and puncture it with with five or six more shots as it settled to the ground. It was from this that free tickets with holes punched in them came to be called "Annie Oakleys." Shooting the ashes off a cigarette held in Frank's mouth was part of the Butler and Oakley act. In a celebrated event while touring in Europe, Wilhelm, Crown Prince of Germany, invited Annie to shoot a cigarette held in his own lips. Annie had Wilhelm hold the cigarette in his hand and not his mouth; she accomplished this challenge, as always effortlessly. In this period Annie Oakley was easily recognizable by the numerous shooting medals that adorned her chest.


Sapphic Form

The main building blocks of the sapphic are trochees and dactyls. The trochee is a metrical foot with one stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one (DAH-di), while the dactyl contains a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones(DAH-di-di). The first three lines of the sapphic contain two trochees, a dactyl, and then two more trochees. The shorter fourth, and final, line of the stanza is called an "Adonic" and is composed of one dactyl followed by a trochee.
Source: “Sapphic” and “Loose Sapphic” forms Mairi bheag

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Comments

1 - 20 of 20

  • penman gold member
    August 16, 2007

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    Wow!

    What a great poem about Annie Oakley. Thank you for sharing this. Was such a joy to read. Best of luck in the contest.


  • Marctheman
    August 9, 2007
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    love the presentation, love the poem, lot of histories.
    great job


  • Ariosto II. gold member
    August 7, 2007

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    Hi Amera, been awhile since I read one of yours.
    I find this fascinating for two reasons
    First it has taught me something (never to late to learn) and second it has a place in my own personal history or at least my families since Buffalo Bill was not unknown to my predecessors.

    Oh and it's also a damned good poem

    Bravo!


  • Hetha gold member
    August 7, 2007

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    Such a unique form, and a very inspiring tale. I always loved tales of Annie Oakley! This is awesome! So aptly named,"Lil' Sure Shot." A real treat it was for me to read. I got a real bang out of it!lol


  • captain howdy
    August 7, 2007
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    This was a great poem, and I even learned a little bit of history to take with me. Great job!!!


  • soulfultia gold member
    August 6, 2007

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    Your work intrigues me so...

    Love the history lesson, there is another poet that writes like this and I love it. You constantly seek challenge don't you Missy. I know you certainly meet it. Excellent work and my pleasure to read ~Tia


  • Desire gold member
    August 6, 2007

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    Wow!!

    Oh I Loved this one Form Queen
    What a tale You have told and I felt this sense of empowerment
    and to shoot a dime
    Holy Moly~ I have a hard time seeing a dime let
    alone shoot it

    Now I don't know how to shoot in general except yell BINGO when the right number is called but heck ...
    now there are PaintBall for Sport
    paintballs
    and I could Master that one...
    without my assistant becoming a rainbow arch
    get the paintballs in control I imagine I could
    shot him from far away and just splatter him
    with color

    Loved this!

    Best wishes to You in the contest
    Many blessings too
    and much love~ Desire~*~


  • second-born
    August 6, 2007

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    This is such a fantastic poem!!! The content is informative and the form is intresting...learning history is fun as long as I'm learning with you...


  • Mairi bheag gold member
    August 6, 2007

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    Solid craftswomanship, Amera, tackling a difficult metric form. Best of luck in the contest.


  • Sgt B
    August 5, 2007

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    Annie Oakley

    I never did know much about this folk lore legend untill high school when i went to see Annie get your gun. Made to a lttle research. Quite a unique story indeed.


  • StarEyes
    August 5, 2007

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    MISS FORM QUEEN is at it again! What a great read this one is! I love it! You make that era sound like fun! hehe. How much fun this was to read! Best of luck in this contest!!

    and much love

    Nyetta


  • RedAquarius
    August 5, 2007

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    This is a great piece and darn interesting! I didn't know much about Annie Oakley except she could shoot . Thanks for the lesson!


  • HaleyMary
    August 5, 2007

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    Cool. Good imagery in this piece. Great historical piece. I hadn't heard of Annie Oakley before reading this poem. Thanks for the history lesson. Good luck in the contest.


  • Whispering Wind Moderators member
    August 5, 2007

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    My this is so good! My daughter is a wonderful writeri remember reading her story and thinking what a powerful example to all women she was Thank you Little Blue Star for sharing this with me


  • capricornpoet
    August 5, 2007

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    lovely verve

    with the astuteness of structure, a wonderful story of this famed sharp shooter....great history poem..


  • JohnnyD gold member
    August 5, 2007

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    LOL!
    A very interesting write Cubbie! She was a very interesting woman.

    Annie reminds me a bit of my friend Angie, of course Angie has never fired a gun in her life but she does have a hair trigger mouth and never misses with it.
    She came over about 8:15 this morning and drug my ass outta bed yelling at me about what a mess the kitchen was...gezzzzeee. gave her my key last week, she's earned it, trust me, she's earned it. We may of had our differences of late but her standing by me at work last
    week, putting herself at possible risk, proved beyond a doubt who she stands by. and THAT to me makes all the difference. ALL the difference.


  • PerVirtuous
    August 5, 2007

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    Quite the little history lesson, and in verse! I like it. Very nice. Excellent use of the form and should do well in the contest.


  • Dalaney gold member
    August 5, 2007

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    she kind of reminds me of a certain someone....

    Love, Lane


  • Bedroom Eyes
    August 5, 2007

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    Nicely done! I know well the story of Annie Oakley, and she was quite a character in her time

    Best of luck in the contest!!!!!!!


  • SpydurPoet gold member
    August 5, 2007

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    This was a very interesting poem. I liked the gunpowder being her perfume. You did a good job with the poem, and also with the explanation in the author's notes. Thanks for entering the contest.
    Write on.
    ~*~SP~*~

1 - 20 of 20