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Poetry
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Twenty Miles of Washboard
By bwoz
24 February 2007
The word "washboard" means a bumpy dirt road that actually shakes things loose as you travel along.  A black ball .50 cal is a reference to a muzzle loaded rifle that uses a primer cap of gun powder, and a black lead ball stuffed into the barrel with a ram-rod.  The Medicine Bow is a wilderness area in Wyoming, very rough country, then and now.

It was twenty miles of washboard
Coming down from the Medicine Bow.
I met a man with a black-ball .50 cal
On that mud slick, rutted road.
I said, It’s twenty miles of washboard mister,
With twenty left to go.

I’ll take those twenty miles, he said
If it gets me to Devil Town.
They took my wife and all I had,
Killed my horse and beat me down.
Now I’m not one to follow trouble,
But I’ll stand up when it comes ‘round.

I said, fetch a line and climb aboard
Help me fix and fasten the load,
Your troubles are not my business
We’re just travelers on this road.
I’ve got powder enough for two, he said
And we’ll both get what we’re owed.

A year it took to heal my bones  
But my pride was smashed to Hell.
I remember while they pounded me
That woman laughing when I fell,
I’m a ghost story to them by now.
But the legend will someday tell.

At the end of twenty miles,
On the mud streets of Devil Town,
The man with the black-ball .50 cal
Powdered and primed two perfect rounds,
The first for his laughing lady,
The other was his own.

Now I have twenty miles, and a rifle
Going back to Medicine Bow.

Reviews
Original and engaging
Written by CrazyBubbles (10 comments posted) 24th February 2007
I enjoyed it. The story was original and engaging. It made me feel as if I was out in the western wilderness, sitting by a campfire, listening to an old, rough cowboy telling a story.  
When you said "Buy my pride was smashed to Hell," I wondered if you meant to say "but" instead of "buy." Maybe I simply mistunderstood the sentence. :)
Thanks
Written by bwoz (125 comments posted) 24th February 2007
Thank you Crazy for the comments and for reading, and edits -- Yes I meant "But" and I'll change that now. Funny how no matter how many times I proof read I seem to miss the obvious. 
 
BW

Written by fellpony (1575 comments posted) 26th February 2007
Made my hair stand on end - I could hear the twang of the voices in my head. Yes, there are some rough patches in the rhythms, but what a story. We don't see enough ballads on here. 

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 26th February 2007
Yes I liked this too - worth taking the time to tidy up a tiny bit maybe? Nice to see something a little different doing the rounds. 
 
Elli
Rough road, rough poem
Written by bwoz (125 comments posted) 27th February 2007
Like the road in the poem, there appear to be some rough patches. Honestly, because I'm too close to the forest on this, I can no longer tell where the rough spots are. I am open to suggestions; let me know, if you would, what parts didn't seem to fit. The original writing of this was very, very scattered. 
 
I appreciate you reading, pony and elli, and glad the story strikes a nerve, or creates a picture -- and makes fellpony hear voices  
 
;)  
 
I always look forward to comments on my writing, and try to reciprocate in kind, please forgive me a bit when I let time lapse, but I will be reading and commenting as much as possible. 
 
BW
Metre
Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 27th February 2007
Now I'm FAR from expert on these things but, for me, rough patches as follows (when reading aloud): 
 
Final two lines fo the second stanza 
 
Fourth stanza - 'but' and 'that' caused me problems and the penultimate line ('story' in paritcularly) all have odd stresses. 
 
Fifth stanza - 'mud streets' 
 
Last four lines - but I decided (for me anyway) that it didn't matter there. 
 
I stress again that this is not my strong suit! But if you read it aloudn accentuating the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables maybe you'll see where I'm coming from... 
 
Elli
Metre
Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 27th February 2007
Now I'm FAR from expert on these things but, for me, rough patches as follows (when reading aloud): 
 
Final two lines fo the second stanza 
 
Fourth stanza - 'but' and 'that' caused me problems and the penultimate line ('story' in paritcularly) all have odd stresses. 
 
Fifth stanza - 'mud streets' 
 
Last four lines - but I decided (for me anyway) that it didn't matter there. 
 
I stress again that this is not my strong suit! But if you read it aloudn accentuating the rhythm of stressed and unstressed syllables maybe you'll see where I'm coming from... 
 
Elli

Written by ellipinnock (1753 comments posted) 27th February 2007
And lucky you, you got my ramblings twice!

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