Poems

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

What say you?

I like "American Nightmare." Hits home right now. Could use an update:

The sweat of our fathers
uprooted
sent around the world
to sweatshops
full of nine-year-old girls
who learn in time
to hate our fathers.

Sorry, but I haven't attempted to write poetry in 25 years, I don't have what I wrote then, and it bordered on the Vogon anyway.

- NF

[grampster]

I really like that one Fianna.  That is what I like about poetry; it calls to mind so much of life in a lyrical way.

 Brings to mind a time in Mexico.  My wife and I were having a cervesa and struck up a conversation with a fellow from Germany.  Turned out Hartmut's dad had fought for the Germans and my dad for the USA.  Both had been at the Battle of the Bulge.  Hartmut's dad fell there.  My dad survived.

  After a thoughtful quiet pause, I asked Hartmut if he was thinking what I was.
He asked what I was thinking.  I said my father may have been the hand by which his father had died, and yet, here we were in Mexico treating each other to drinks and forging a friendship those many years later, me an American, he a German and both of us in Mexico.  He smiled, gave me a salute with his beer and we ordered another round.

[grampster]

Nat,

It occured to me, from your post, how much things have not changed in 13 years.  When I wrote that in '92 my industry was stable.  Now I see even it being stripped of the human resources that built it in a quest for "growth" and more numbers.

[matis]

Matis,

It is a scary thing,
laying your soul out for
stripping

OK, grampster, from a less happy time -- here goes.




TRAVELS

My gorgeous toddler daughter
Each time her mother takes her
Back across the land
I am left
To traverse gulfs.
To navigate my way to a state
Where I live without grief.
I do not know where
Yet always get there.

Tomorrow they'll be here again.

I'll be overjoyed.
I'll be overjoyed
As soon as I make it
Back across the gulfs.
As soon as I can disembark
And locate the locker.
The locker where I checked the bags.
The bags I loaded with the grief.
That cannot quite contain my joy.

[Guest]

Nickel

Actually his name was Nicklaus.
 
Pure-bred
Cocker Spaniel was he
Since his name was so long,
 Nickel to me

Now we were best buds, oh yes indeed!
Though gotten for a boy,
 Whose mom I did marry
Nickel and I were blamed for many a deed

Well being a guy,
He was supposed to know
It was I that taught him
 How to write his name in the snow

We would take walks,
 That lady and me
Nickel of course leading the way
Hurry up daddy up here is something to see

Of the dirt road into grass watching that tail
Lady would look at me grinning Oh go ahead on
Earth would explode
With the flushing of quail

Ill be damned! When he learn to do that?
Honey he was bred to find birds
Hold point and flush
Tis a fact
"
But that aint a Woodcock
Nickel dont care about that


Tried it with a shotgun?  my lady did ask
I pretended in the backyard
In the sun Nickel
 preferred to sun bask

Now honey I know how
 You two like to have fun
One of you take the other out
Take a shotgun

Stepson at his daddys,
 One week visit you see
Leaving Nickel, lady
 and well just us three

Lady went to visit parents;
 I was to later meet her there
Nickel talked me into
 Looking for table fare

Well he was supposed to get groomed
Handsome and clean
Heck we are guys,
Not supposed to know what that means

I had called to cancel
Groomer said Thank You
Something had come up
Tomorrow be better, thatll do

So while Nickel was in backyard to pee
I loaded up the truck
So he wouldnt see

Damn Dog, gets all excited
Not just around me
Reloading shotshells
Or the guns that he sees

Then again being such buds that we are
Hed rather ride in daddys truck
Than walk
Or Mommas car

Permission to hunt on a fellas land
Was granted by Nickel
And the owner of course
Shaking paw and hand

Hey Im just the guy
That drives the truck
Hurry up daddy
Lets try our luck

Now Nickel not been trained as they say
Got a Pedigree as pure as can be
Some stuff just knowd
Cant be taught in a day

Standing with Citori of which light did off glint
Umm daddy, you didnt forget my peppermint?

Crunch, Crunch, Crunch I hear the dog
Me, I head off, and have to step over a log.

So while I take a step or two
Pause and wait
Nickel runs past
Full bore on up ahead and hits brakes

Easy, Easy, good boy
Nickel decided be more fun to pounce
Ground Exploded
Citori spewed forth its load of ¾ ounce

As I watched the quail
That Id just hit
Nickel was off running
Toward where the others had lit

Sigh&Hey Silly  you forgot to retrieve!
No daddy he said tail just a wagging
I pounce, you shoot
You do the bagging

So he stops rolling on the ground
Hollers out Hurry up daddy,
This is such fun
Cmon found more, bring your gun

Now momma quail this time
Had decided to protect
I showed Nickel
How she feigned wing defect.

I waited to see what Nickel
Would do next
Daddy this is the part
You call Respect

I showed Nickel the quail
We taken a bit ago
He sniffed and looked at me
He was reverent  though he did wag his tail.

He came closer
To observe what fell
With his paw
Nickel too petted the quail.

Hey daddy, about them peppermint?
As he started to frolic
Nickel managed to get two Peppermints
From out of my pocket.

Two boys having fun
One wagging tail,
 flushing quail
The taller one- toting and using a gun.

Part of this outing funny as hell
Seems these two boys got chased
By a Bull
Wearing a Bell

Oh we made it thru the fence
Lickaty- split
Not sure who stepped in
The most bullshit

What the hell was that daddy!
Nickel asked me
That be a bull
Now you tell me

Think you can flush another
Nickel this time?
Try to pick a place
Without  Bulls brother

"Daddy Ive quit shaking now
Got to admit it was fun
Cmon lets go see what that is"
Great  now my dog want to see a cow.

Nickel done with that
With a wag of his tail
Just has to run over
To the other rail.

Dog ever been atop a horse?
Well hand me your gun and give it a go
Nickel looks up at me
Has to be up there with me of course

Holding my gun
Fella is laughing
Seems he noticed
Nickel and Iearlier  on the run

Daddy, it is a l-o-n-g way down
We head off in the yard
Nickel just a grinning  no not a frown
Horse totin me and my pard.

Nickel and I get a Polaroid
Of us atop that horse
We then dismount
Shake hands with the owner of course.

Heading back in
What is that daddy?
Why that is a Buck
Cmon daddy -race you to the truck.

"Daddy 
Im hungry and hot
Can we go to Sonic
They gots burgers and tater tots"

Nickel likes Sonic
He has the girls all trained
He gets all sorts of attention
Not to mention handfuls of peppermint

~~~
Oh there is more to this work about Nickel.
Just been awhile and &well&Nickel and I kept adding to it.
Kinda long you might say, one helluva a day.
Two boys meeting up as supposed to , typical boys, smelling funny, really dirty. Nickel just had to show lady the quail.  

"
Something sexy about a guy smelling of sweat, guns and game...then the lady quit petting the damn dog, stood up and spoke to me. *grin*

There are some other works about Nickel too&just &kinda&hard &I miss Nickel.