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My First True Love This was written a few years back and is dedicated to my father. I hope you folks enjoy it, as it'll prob'ly be the last one I post for awhile - Interest in my writing seems to've dropped off fairly sharply... At any rate, as I mentioned earlier, this is dedicated to the man who taught me how to hunt, fish, write poetry and, above all else, smile - even when it hurts... My First True Love
Well
I reckon I knowed her before I could even talk -
Mom
said she was a bitch, but 'course
I
just knew I loved her with all my heart.
She'd
look at me with them big brown eyes
Dad
and my big brothers loved her too,
I
'member how they'd take her out in the woods behind the house,
'They'd
tell me, "You're not big enough."
Then,
in a couple hours, she'd come back exhausted.
Dad
said, "Mom, she's turnin' our boys into men,
Even
taught me some things I didn't know..."
I
didn't know what he was talkin' about,
I
was feelin' all left out, then she came and kissed me,
This
went on for several years, till finally Dad said,
And
I got to watch the greatest hunting dog that ever lived.
She
wasn't much to look at, small and slick haired,
'Course
she had them big brown eyes,
I
can't think of any one particular breed she was,
But
she had the poise and grace of a high bred pointer
She
was just that good, though as far huntin' goes,
But
she loved my dad and she loved to hunt,
'Course
growin' up in Kansas, you never knew
I
'member times we'd go out huntin' the snow was high,
But
Ellie just loved it! She loved huntin' rabbit and squirrel and
pheasant and quail
Then
we'd come home and dress 'em out,
That
was something else she was good at -
'Course
most of her pups we gave away,
But
they were never quite as good as Elli Mae.
I
'member one time when Dad shot a squirrel,
We
was huntin' cross the river from the end of First Street,
The
river was up and runnin' hard,
And,
well, the squirrel landed in the water -
'Course
it was too swift and deep and cold to wade,
We
just stood there in amazement! She'd never done anything like this before,
She
retrieved it, climbed the bank and looked up at Dad
Then
she wagged her tail and gave a yip
She
said, "Come on Old Man, pick the damn thing up and reload!
...Well,
I reckon there's prob'ly a thousand other stories...
She
loved my dad and she loved to hunt,
She's
been gone... it'll be 29 years in the fall of '01
I
was in sixth grade and I went out one morning to feed her
And
I went runnin', bawlin' back inside
And
he went out and called her name - then stroked her fur
And,
well I ain't sure, but I thought I seen a tear
'Course
I was standin' there snifflin'... And he hugged me,
She
was the first creature I ever remember knowin' how to love
She
was the greatest huntin' dog I've ever known,
Don
Jus'Me McCrary (AKA the Kansan)
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