Open Poetry #25 |
Dorsal From Shoofly Junction |
Bill Charles Member Patricius
since 2000-07-11
Posts 10619highways, & byways, for now |
“DORSAL FROM SHOOFLY JUNCTION” by Bill Charles ~~~~ I know Dorsal from Shoofly Junction, actually my step dad he is, what a character, used to come home every night black as coal, scared the you know what out of mom one night, he snuck up behind her and yelled boo as he put his hands around her waist, he was so black she didn’t recognize him, why you should have heard her scream, one could hear her all the way down to Shanty Town; oh, that’s another coal mining town just down the road, I can still picture him with a pure black coal dust face and those beady eyes peering out, with that smirkly how do you do smile of his, well heck, that’s where he spent all his time in those dirty and dusty coal mines that he worked all his life, actually he started after he came back from the war, he’s retired now about 80, but still spry for his age, treated me right, took me in when I needed it at the time… Heck we used to hit the bars up the holler when we were younger, mom would just get on him when we got back, of course I was cruising for you know what, but we did do some beers together, never will I forget those times… One night we came in really late and mom was flipping mad at the both of us, I snuck in the window where I was sleeping but Dorsal thought he would slip in through another one, well anyway he opened the thing up and scared the heck out of mom as he was crawling in, he was always doing that it seems, anyway she didn’t know who it was, so she hit the top of that baldhead of his with a cast iron skillet, all I heard was‘BONNNNG’, it felt like the whole house vibrated, she said he slid out that window on the ground out cold, damn, mom almost killed him that night, wow she’s got a heck of a swinging right arm with that skillet… Mom passed away some years ago, and good ole Dorsal, what a guy he is, married him a younger woman, tells me there’s nothing like it, heck he’s 80 and still doing it, wow, that guy is something else, but good at heart, has that West Virginia sense of humor, I have to ask him what his secret is, perhaps that moonshine, I wonder… There’s many more to be told about like Moonshine Slim, and Preacher Elisa, but that’s another story, thought for now I’d hit up one step dad, just one of the folk that still live there in Shoofly Junction… ~~~~ |
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© Copyright 2003 Bill Charles - All Rights Reserved | |||
rkcraig Member
since 2003-02-27
Posts 202Cincinnati, Ohio, USA |
Interesting story. I look forward to hearing about hte othe people you have mentioned. |
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Margherita Member Seraphic
since 2003-02-08
Posts 22236Eternity |
Booonk! Wow, could just imagine that! Very lively story. Great that you have this bond with your step-dad! Love, Margherita |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Enjoyed, as always, my friend! |
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Mistletoe Angel
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
(smiles) Oh Bill, I just love this story, sweet friend, and I want to hear more about Preacher Elisa and Moonshine Slim too! (big hugggssssss) This is marvelous, sweet friend, felt like I was there myself, we all love you so much! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet Bill, thank you for sharing! May love and light always shine upon you! Love, Noah Eaton "Underneath your clothes there's an endless story..." |
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inkedgoddess Member Rara Avis
since 2002-11-19
Posts 7392Ohio |
nice switch in style, serving up a bit of americana, cant relate, being a newyorker, but i like this |
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RSWells Member Elite
since 2001-06-17
Posts 2533 |
Step Dad seems a hell of a man. I'm from "The Burg" and know what a hard life the mines are....amazing he yet lives. Sure give us more Shoofly Junction. |
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NewEnglandlazurlu Member Rara Avis
since 2002-01-04
Posts 7470A Mountain Paradise |
BC, I just loved this. I don't know anything about moonshine, coal mines or shanty towns, so this was fascinating. Can't wait to read more and more .... Hugs, Marti Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. |
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Connel
since 2002-11-04
Posts 736Florida, USA |
*yawns* Im getting tired.. But this poem boosted me up with energy! lol Read ^ there, because you are reading the wrong part! |
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