Hole in the Ozarks

[couchgrouch]

Hole in the OzarksGranpa took long drinks from his wellthe day he left those Arkansas hillsto cross the Atlantic and killsoldiers of the Kaisercoming home pictures filled his headrivers of tears...rivers of redthough millions of this world were deadit was none the wiserhe found someone had salted his welland a lead miner pressured him to sellGranpa sold out though it broke his hearthis roots were watered by a hole in the OzarksGranpa built a still shack and ran moonshinebusiness boomed when Wall St. fell in '29but he hated seeing his hills treated like swinestuck and bled and guttedbut hands need work and bellies need breadand that mine kept the graveyards fedcos those shafts were just wells of leadwith human bucketsmen digging from debt with shovels and pickswhere air was too thin to feed a candlewickdying eyes clawing at the darkseeing heaven from a hole in the Ozarkswar taught him to give his gun a maiden's nameas Granpa watched that Caddy and took aimhe told Sally they'd share the blameand wed in hell togetherbut war is war and death saves others' bloodthey say that miner's under leaves and mudlost to his wealth cos mountains chew their cudforever and eversome rest with roses but all rest with wormstime heals the hills on its own termsGranpa and that miner both left their marksbut Granpa has roses on his hole in the Ozarks(c)2005 Robert George