Boot Hill

final revision

Sleep, skimming senses, 

towards the slow saddling ride

up canyon along the last stuttering mile, 

bending ache of Resurrection Hill 

to the cold drop denouement 

checkpoint of our youth’s hanging intentions.

Come morning, the penultimate poem, 

sharp echo of tight lipped companions 

au revoir compañero, still to be written.

Ken e Bujold

Author's Note

a bit of tightening, slight line revisions etc

Reviews

[W. Barrett Munn]

Really tightened nicely. Not a syllable wasted.

Winston

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks. And yes, I do believe the urge to tinker has been put to bed on this one.

[Neville]

this is dead good .. one can literally feel how you put the whole of your heart n sole into its crafting .. but my word, those were the days, weren't they, my friend :)

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks Nev. yes the choices were a time consuming stroll. wanted to capture a bit of Heaney (which I feel i did)

[Kelly Scheppers]

Sounded like the offerings of a John Wayne movie, the Duke of westerns. Brilliantly composed with the slow saddling up, to the bending ache of Resurrection. A most intriguing read, Ken. Powerful and concise. Much enjoyed the ride!

[Ken e Bujold]

thanks Kelly. i am really enjoying the various takes on this little poem. most, due to title and western nativism, are going to the wild west image. which i admit influenced my choice of language, but the other genesis for the work was the natural language and style of irish poet Seamus Heaney who is one of my fav poets. the intent was not so much a hanging or even death as it was/is the realization of lost ambitions.

drop by any time

ken

[Dave Brown]

A quick draw could add a few more stanzas but it eventually all comes to an end, as we all ride off into the sunset
Don't thinks they used Chinese quality shovels on Boot Hill

[W. Barrett Munn]

Youth stuttering to an end whether or not we are ready or expecting it. And definitely sad.

Winston

[Chris Shaw]

You took me to Westerns. I used to watch them years ago. The condemned man, there always seemed to be a hanging. We all have to go, but how and the timing makes a hell of a difference. Hated the thought of the noose and strangulation. Have a good day Ken.

Chris

[Perry]

Ah, excellent and haunting! The moments tick by as a condemned man dreams his final dream. Super visual and thought provoking.

[John the Baptist]

Well, a cold, drop box denouement was never what I looked forward to, either. Of course, no one else on Boot Hill had that expectation. But it comes to us all, whatever our literary success. Ask Shakespeare. Ask T.S. Eliot.

[Ciara]

Very moving write Ken. Young lives ending too many chapters too soon.

[willweb]

And as the poets ride off into the sunset, the others arise in the morning wondering where everyone went. the end is never as we expect it because the end is not something I think any of us expect. Th good guys don't always win in the end and there are very few silver bullets handed out anymore. Makes you wonder sometimes if that wooden makeshift cross isn't the better alternative. Your pom, your poet my friend, needs to stick around even after the new sheriff arrives