FROM TOWN LIMITS

GUS ON RED BEAVER LAKE

Well, hell, I grew up here
and so did ma and pop.
Their folks all came from overseas
someplace Norwegian or Scandinavian.
I never paid much attention.
All's I know is all of them
went to the same church,
cooked the same damn meals every Sunday,
and the men all hunted,
and the women all stayed home.
We all live a fuckin' long time, though,
even with the mill work.
My ma's dad was a head foreman,
and dad's ended up working trains.
That's what we do.

To hear fam-dam-ily talk
you'd think this fuckin' town
was like heaven. I don't know
since I never been nowhere
but the Cities once a year,
and Texas that once.
But, it's not bad. The old folks tell
'bout the old roller rink
used to be in the park,
and a swimming beach
out at the lake. Guess
there used to be a pavilion
or some damn thing
By the time I was old enough
to have done much of nothin'
there wasn't much of nothin' to do.
I never liked skating on wheels
even in the new joint in the '70s
and swimming is what you do
when you fall outta the boat
after too many beers.
There's the bars.
You got The Local and The Office
and the nice joint at the Supper Club.
But there ya feel all fuckin'
tight with old guys in ties.
We ain't got nothin' fancy like
Hooters in the Cities.
Just leathery old Joe tending bar
and maybe a girl back from college'll
come in for the summer,
but even then,
it's someone's kid or a cousin
so's you can't get excited 'bout seein' tits.

You got your choice a churches,
but I ain't the church type.
If I had to put a thumb on what this town is
it's the mill and the bars and my buddies.
But that's enough for me.
Hell, the world ain't that much different
other places. You fuckin' work, drink, sleep
and do it over again.
At least here I can hunt,
and I don't have to pay out my asshole
for a can of beer or a song on the jukebox.

CINDY

Well, let's see here.
I went to Red Beaver High, class of 1990.
I was the lead cheerleader,
Beaver Queen, and Chamber Choir soprano
from my sophomore year. They taught us that,
right off from freshman, how to spell "soph-o-more."
Said they didn't want us being those
without knowing how to spell it.
I still remember.

So anyways, I married my sweetie, Robby,
after he come back from Hibbing Community College,
him and me got married. He wanted to wait
until he finished his education to settle down.
I waited for him. Well, waited in the sense
that I didn't fool around much. There was Kevo,
used to take me bowling sometimes.
Buit he was a sloppy kisser,
and I finally had to say no dates, poor soul.
And Fridge, but he wasn't much of a talker,
and I like being listened to and all,
but I need more than a grunt now and then.

Anyhoo, we had a nice wedding at the church,
with all the girls in lavender and with little sprays
of daisies. Looked like a little bit of spring
right there in the church. And a dance at the Local.
Ya know that hall down the way?
I know it don't look like much with the brown stucco
looks like baby shit, but we did it up nice inside
and all the pictures was on the inside anyways.
Robby joked when we pulled up in his truck
that we'd be cleaning up crap soon,
and it'd look like the outside of the building.
I smacked him good, right with my bouquet.
Good thing Tracey, she took of all the thorns,
or we'd a been turning right around
and headin' for the ER.
As it was, he got a petal in his eye,
he was okay by the time we took pictures with the cake.

So's I been here doing Avon for the ladies.
I even got a booth up at Flow and Curl I rent.
Got it done up with lights and little lavender flowers.
All the girls come to me for their faces.
And they all remember me, all done up
from being the Beaver Queen. I got a picture,
right here. I found the dress at Maggie's,
but she had to dye it, lavender! Oh gosh.
And my kids, they keep me runnin'.
Thank God they were girls.
No hockey sticks in my house, no sir.
And Robby, well, he's fixed so's we can't have no more.
With his business he's busy anyway, for more kids.
Sellin' those computer gadgets and whatfors downtown.
His shop's not on the same side as mine,
so's we don't get in each other's way.
Life's pretty darn good,
and I thank my lucky stars that to Robby,
I'm still the Beaver Queen.






Click here to return to previous page.