This Cave

~~~~~

We been livin’ in this cave

since the bushwhackers came

and burned the house

ta the ground

but we didn’t commence stravin’

‘til both armies came marchin’

through the yard

and took all that I had stored

Baby Nattie was weaned

but I put her back to feed

on my withered breast

and did my best

for little Joe

and my other two boys

but a Yank done took the gun

and all the ammunition

and we ain’t got a thang ta eat

but a few dried up beets

Ain’t nobody left in this valley

but me and the babies

and they ain’t nowhere for us ta go

coza this crazy mixed up war

so we’ll just wait in this cave

'til judgment day

when the Good Lord will take us home

in His chariot a gold

~~~~~

Author notes

This probably really would be who I was if I had lived in 1863 because it's exactly what happened to a relative of mine. She and her children survived the war by eating whatever they could catch and find in the woods. I wonder if I could've kept me and my babies alive.

A contest entry

who might you have been in the eighteen hundreds? by Rheea. 2000 points, ended May 25, 11 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest

Comments

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dillpickle62
May 25

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wow!
What an exceptional pc. of poetry. Along with a bit of family history no less. Great penning poet! Concrat's on the Gold.
NeonRose
May 25

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I love the way you used the vernacular to give impact to this write, it really made me feel as if I was 'there'.
Well-deserving of the Gold trophy!
Eusebius
May 25

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bravo
A fine, excellent poem (I really wish more folks would read history, especially the war between the states... bravo... bravo... bravo.. {also, very nifty gun-maul photo}
Rheea
May 19

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my people had a saying about yankees back then... well never mind....wonderful write that broke my heart. I know it happened and worse those caves were sometimes just little clay gully caves.
Sagerider
May 18

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This is great
It sounds like my Grandma's stories of growing up in the reconstruction south. Union Foragers would swoop down and take the chickens, pigs or what ever they could find and leave families with nothing. Great write.