Legends and Their Fall
by L. Stewart Marsden
The last I heard o’ Pecos Bill
He’d roped a cyclone ov’r a hill
and dragged his spurs — hung on real tight –
to ultimately disappear from sight.
And old tall Paul and his buddy Blue
who’d logged ever tree that God ever grew
O’er the horizon they both disappeared
And are way long-gone, is what I hear’d.
And then there’s Wild Bill Hickety-cock,
Who’d pull out his gun and fire off a shot
A’fore an answer he ever did got.
He succumbed to the old tickety-tock.
Of course there’s that Johnny Appleseed,
The skinniest man a feller did see
Who planted them trees up high and down low,
Now, jest whar did that skinny ol’ man up and go?
Near alla our legends ain’t no longer around,
Sure not on the minds of the kids here in town;
Go see what I mean, ask a lad ’bout tall Paul
and he’ll scratch on his head without ans’rin at all,
‘Cause he don’t know these legends, ain’t heard the tales,
Of loggers and cowboys and witches and whales;
He’s too busy with Gameboys and iPhones and such,
So engrossed with ‘lectronics he’s way out of touch
With the stuff that once fluffed up pillers at night
And lit up the rooms with fantastical sights
And caused ever kid to have wunnerful dreams –
not the ‘lectrical cr*p — if you know what I mean.
I know I’m fanatic, may seem near insane,
To bring up these legends circlin’ round the old drane;
But I’ll hollar and yell — hope is ain’t just in haste –
That the mind is a turrible resource to waste.
Jest put down that gizmo, and open a book –
Okay, you can even look at your book on a Nook –
Long as you read, get your brain back in gear,
and bring back those legends from old yesteryear.
