As mentioned in the introduction to this site’s immediately previous post, the poet has been enjoying the works of Ivan Doig. He being a writer both quietly humorous and very American, these jes’ natcherly put her in mind of the original poetic offering below ~ one which tends to be a favorite not only of her own, but of her reading audiences as well.

*****

Recorded Reading (4:40): https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4iylpouw2jck327ll6ogv/Back-Country-Dust-Up.mp3?rlkey=433m65bxpgsbcravp3jljrmln&st=ry4k65iy&dl=0

*****

Back Country Dust-Up

In every small town
In every backcountry
There’s a couple of fellers
That everyone knows

And if you see one
You’ll sure see the other
‘Cause he goes wherever
That first feller goes

They go to the fields
They go to the stables
They go to the feed lots
They go to the store

And if there is one of ’em
That you can’t locate, then
Neither’s the other one
There any more

Now, ’bout those two fellers
There’s usually stories
Which if you will ask ’em
The locals will tell

One in particular
Always in favor
And one of ’em tells it
Particular well

They’ll tell you the first time
Those two come together
They looked at each other
With dubious eyes

When one spoke, the second one
Answered politely
In tones that made plain
He that first one despised

Nor did that first questioner
Sweeten the moment
With anything close to
True civility

And everyone watching
All glanced at each other
Already deciding
That’s how it would be

But things didn’t stay like that
Too many weekends
Soon fated to meet were
This Arab and Turk

Because for some reason
Our old local pastor
Upon the same project
Then put them to work

I know this because
That twin labor project
Had for its hosting
My grandmother’s farm

And each time that summer
I stop to remember
It makes me feel young again
Sheltered and warm

Off in the bushes
With six other children
To see how those two cocky
Guys got along

My friends said that one of ’em
Would not survive it
I shivered and whispered
I hoped they was wrong

But there for a few and then
Some few more moments
It looked like instead
They were straight-arrow right

For after a long spell
Of no conversation
(Which doesn’t help nothin’
When trying to do

A thing which together
Two birds of a feather
In just half that time
Could have gotten well through)

We saw Number Two’s cap
Come off of his forehead
We saw his strong hand
Fling that cap on the ground

And knew in that moment
The die had been casted
Them two young tom turkeys
Was goin’ around…

They fought through the woods
They fought through the brambles
They fought through the chickens
And collards and leeks

They rolled down the hills
They crashed through the fences
At last those two boys
Ended up in the creek

Well, by that time you know
They long had outstripped us
Rolling and tumbling
On up ahead

We littler kids
Who scrambled to follow
Were pretty dern sure we would
Find ’em both dead

Instead we burst onto
A sight unexpected
As much a relief
As a deep mystery

There were the two of them
Walking toward us
As close as two brothers
Ever could be

I went home and sought out
My favorite uncle
And started to tell him
The way it went down

But nat’rally news
Of that back country dustup
Had beaten the lot of us
Back into town

The first thing those two new friends
Did as good brothers
Was go to my grandma
And apologize

She looked o’er her spectacles
At their discomfort
And shuffling feet
With her twinkling eyes

She glanced at my uncle
She glanced at my grandpa
She glanced at the servant
Been with us a while

And all of their faces
It seemed to this young ‘un
Carried the same little
Covered up smile

“Well, don’t do that no more
You doubled your work load
I know you’ve got nothing
To say in defense

I trust you two learned how
To get along better
Dinner’s at seven
Now, go fix the fence”

An’ ever since that day
That’s how you see them
If Number One’s there
Number Two is around

And we never worry
About Number One
Because wherever Two is
That’s where he’ll be found!

*****

This poet presently lives at a fraction of her nation’s poverty level.

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