They Don't Make Those Men Anymore

Elmer Conrad

The day started as many do

I ran up the hill of the grounds

I'd leapt from bed, in fear and dread

that I would be late to the Downs

We had so many horses then

thirty one as I now recall

Only two men, to jog back then

 rushed to finish before the squall

 

We had six horses in that night

each hurried to finish in time

We'd bathed them all, cleaned each ones stall

life was hard back then in my prime

The rain was roiling from the west

black clouds had portended a storm

All were ready, stout and steady

for us this was just the norm

 

On that night between the races

I spoke with an old friend of mine

His the mystique, the most unique

of any horsemen you could find

His dad named him Elmer Conrad

he was a product of the old school

At eighty four, or maybe more

this young man thought he was so cool

 

As the oldest racing driver

I must admit he held great sway

In him I'd found, a lonesome sound

as he'd outlived all from his day

One night Elmer was in a wreck

his temper puffed a powder keg

There on the ground, a cracking sound

he lay picking bones from his leg

 

But this night he drove his rig home

it was late and the roads were wet

He'd had bad luck, and wrecked the truck

I'm sure he blew it off, "no sweat"

That was the last I saw of him

someone thought him too old to drive

With no great ease, took Elmer's keys

and with that his desire to thrive

Elmer hung himself in the barn

beside the home family owned

Looking back now, I wonder how

any of us could have atoned 

 Next day I heard my hero died

where-bye we'd lost a man so great

Scrawled on a note, that he had wrote

"I am the Master of my Fate"

 

He treated me as if his own

and for that I honor him too

By eighty four, he had done more

than any man I had ever knew

He was the last great gentleman

I had known of four and four score

There died our best, eternal rest

they don't make those men anymore

Author's Note

Men like Elmer led their lives by a code unlike the average man. Elmer Conrad was such a part of the track his was the template from which we were all created. He was the constitution and conscience of us all. The old ones respected him. But I admired him. The secrets he had learned followed him to the grave, as did our feelings and admiration for his spirit. As a young man I felt a little poorer for the loss of such a spirit. He had been the guest on the Carson show the year before as the oldest living driver. I remember watching him and thinking he is so cool!
I am not one who believes that finishing third is winning. I think we do our children a disservice by awarding them trophies for participation. It is the truth of life that excellence is the key to success. Life is meant to be hard. I use to look at Elmer and knew from the tip of his hat to me that he approved. He watched me work night and day. He saw with what deference I paid homage to my own father and in me I hoped he had found something of himself and the times that led to the man I so admired. He was one of a kind.
May God Rest His Soul

Reviews

[Brother Rooster]

Holy moley. Jeewhizz. Jaw dropping. This poem is like being hit by giant hammer through a pillow. It took my breath away. The imagery, the sense of nostalgia. This is so far my fav Tate Morgan work. It's inspiring in its briliance. You should be out there, Tate. Your works touches people and...well...you should be on the cover of TIME. Great. Really great.

[Tate Morgan]

thank you rooster

[Pete Langley]

Elmer sounds the sort of person we all should admire, in that his spirit came from within - he sounds self-possessed , not reliant on the experience of others or their ideals but forming his own. I like the lowkey, narrative, conversational style of this piece. Not trying too hard to poeticise and not forcing the rhyme adds to the impact. P.

[Dr. Wood ?]

powerful and sad...These sort of men are becoming rarer by the day

[Carolann Dowsett]

This is a beautiful, emotional tribute to someone who sounds like he was quite a man. A great write Tate.

[zainul]

Elmer Conrad was a great master.
He was a born leader.
May God Rest His Soul.
I appreciate Tate for sharing the wonderful tribute for Elmer Conrad.

[SM Davis]

This is lovely. I would enjoy reading a prose piece....where you let loose and allow your pen the freedom (and power) we both know it possesses.

[Constance Payne]

What a wonderful tribute.

The old ones that can teach us so much are passing and so much knowledge will be lost; youth has no clue what it is passing by.

Beautifully written

[David Lewis Paget]

That's a great tribute, Tate, and I think the form you used added to the story. Good work,
David.

[Blue Belle]

It's sad that he had to go that way. Interesting way of showing that you admired him :)

[redflutterby]

That great generation is quickly passing... men of honor and strength. You tell his story with such sweet admiration and sadness!! Fabulous write!!