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Open Poetry #47
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CrazyJack (by request)
| Open Poetry #47 |
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CrazyJack (by request) |
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JerryPat2 Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975South Louisiana 
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he sat in front of them not regally more of a slumping posture wearing a black Grateful Dead t-shirt covering grayish, dust-colored white skin a pronounced wattle and intense lime-green eyes when he spoke thunder roared from his antiquated throat the five very young boys sat in rapt attention as he poured a black spider from a paper sack onto his arm with mouths gaping they watched the spider crawl up his liver-spotted arm until . . . WHAM! he grabbed that spider and bit its head off least that's what the boys swore they saw for years and years the old man had all the warmth of a Wyoming blizzard no social graces there was no finesse when he spoke and as he read to the young lads from one of the many Zane Gray novels he seemed to pluck out of thin air sometimes he would stop reading look somewhere over the boys heads for the longest time sometimes his head would droop a snore would awaken him he'd grin a snaggle-toothed grin reach behind him produce half a pint of vile-smelling whiskey take a small sip cap it and return it to its resting place and resume the tall tales of frontier west cowboys and rustlers pretty barmaids and long cattle drives outlaws and lawmen bawdy houses and girls of ill repute the old man told them those girls were ill with a common cold called repute the boys nodded giggled and looked at one another remembering what one of their big brothers told 'em about the girls after awhile much too soon a woman's voice would call out and the boys scampered up took off running knowing they weren't supposed to be there been warned 'bout that old wild man called CrazyJack as they ran home the old man's laughter followed them all the way but they'd be back to listen to him read sometime he read about somebody named Macbeth and witches or he might read to them a poem a poem so sad the boys fought back tears as he spoke about the raven and Lenore and so it was they did come back but the old man wasn't there rumor had it townspeople ran him off much to the sadness of the little boys ~*~ If they give you lined paper, write sideways. ~*~ |
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| © Copyright 2011 Jerry Pat Bolton - All Rights Reserved | |||
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bel1e Senior Member
since 2006-07-24
Posts 1631 |
I was as rapt as those little boys reading this, Mr. Pat! |
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Nicole Senior Member
since 1999-06-23
Posts 1835Florida |
This made me smile... (that sounds trite, like a canned response, but it's not intended that way) It's hard to place inflection in 'this' little white box. As a child, I moved, an awful awful lot. Every three months, for years, actually - and I had my own CrazyJack once. I was about 8-ish? Lawsey...if Mom ever found out, even now, she'd beat me 10 ways till Sunday too. hah I liked this... it brought back memories of a very grouchy-faced, kind man, that would read me stories when I was a kiddo. |
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JerryPat2 Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975South Louisiana |
Good day, Baby Girl, and thank you for stopping by and visiting. <><> Nicole, it is so good to hear you had CrazyJack's presence in your life, especially since it seems to have been a waring, positive one. Thank you fr being here this morning. ~*~ If they give you lined paper, write sideways. ~*~ |
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JL Member Ascendant
since 2004-04-01
Posts 6128Texas, USA |
Well, all I have is a “canned” response… You show-off! Heeeheeeeee… There you go again, another great story. I was smiling thru the entire read. I am so glad a request was in for this intriguing write! Nice Jerry, really nice. JL  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul,and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. |
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JerryPat2 Member Laureate
since 2011-02-06
Posts 16975South Louisiana |
Hah! Showoff, eh, JL? But aren't we all? Thank you for overcoming my showoffiness (new word?) to read and comment. ~*~ If they give you lined paper, write sideways. ~*~ |
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