Whipped Poor Will - pipTalk Forums

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XOx Uriah xOX
Senior Member

since 2006-02-11

Posts 1403
Virginia

0 posted 2006-03-22 01:46 PM

The moon showed all the darkness
that filled men's hearts that night.
Out in the woods they talk about it still.
The quail remembers names.
The screech owl screams in pain.
Them woods still echo how they whipped poor Will.

Willie Johnson
was twenty one years old
Skin black as coal,
with a heart of gold.
Nellie Barum
was white as snow.
Servin' people in a place
where people like Willie
couldn't go.

Late one night,
she locked the doors up tight.
Walking home in the pale moon light.
Across the bridge
where the river flows;
She fell through the rail
and into the water below.

The moon showed all the darkness
that filled men's hearts that night.
Out in the woods they talk about it still.
The quail remembers names.
The screech owl screams in pain.
Them woods still echo how they whipped poor Will.

Willie Johnson
walked along the path
down by the river,
when he heard the splash.
He jumped right in...
Into the middle of Death's arms.
Risked his life...
saving Nellie Barum.

Mouth to mouth
and hands to chest
She came to, with Willie
at her breast.
She started screaming.
A blood curdling noise.
'Til along came Robert White
and some other white boys.

The moon showed all the darkness
that filled men's hearts that night.
Out in the woods they talk about it still.
The quail remembers names.
The screech owl screams in pain.
Them woods still echo how they whipped poor Will.

cody 2
Junior Member

since 2006-03-12

Posts 48
london

1 posted 2006-03-22 04:53 PM

a good story in verse,welldone

Rainbowdust
Member

since 2002-12-05

Posts 320
Sydney, Australia

2 posted 2006-03-23 04:22 AM

Poor Will indeed.

Poignant and well written.

The soul would have no rainbows, had the eyes no tears.

LeeJ
Member Patricius

since 2003-06-19

Posts 13296

3 posted 2006-03-23 08:51 AM

man oh man, this gave me the chills...very very sad...you have a true gift of writing stories...

Susan Caldwell
Member Rara Avis

since 2002-12-27

Posts 8348
Florida

4 posted 2006-03-27 10:32 AM

Nicely done!!!

"too bad ignorance isn't painful"
~Unknown~

Midnitesun

Member Empyrean

since 2001-05-18

Posts 28647
Gaia

5 posted 2006-03-27 07:16 PM

An awesome write m'friend. I love the keen refrain, the way you set the scene and let the characters come alive in such a short span of time.

Sunshine

Administrator

Member Empyrean

since 1999-06-25

Posts 63354
Listening to every heart

6 posted 2006-03-27 07:29 PM

The slice of life poem
served with raw endurance
of pain unending.

Well done, Sir.

Toerag
Member Ascendant

since 1999-07-29

Posts 5622
Ala bam a

7 posted 2006-03-28 07:57 AM

do you play a fiddle?....guitar?..both?...I'm sure you've written a song or two?....

Nicely done Uriah....

StevenS
Senior Member

since 2005-09-21

Posts 945
L. A. (Lower Alabama)

8 posted 2006-03-28 10:49 AM

Another well told and sad tale Uriah. I know this is a song. I hope someday I can hear you sing it along with others you've wrote! :-)

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