A Note Left In Jimmy Leonard's Shack Poem by James Arlington Wright

A Note Left In Jimmy Leonard's Shack

Rating: 3.9


Near the dry river's water-mark we found
Your brother Minnegan,
Flopped like a fish against the muddy ground.
Beany, the kid whose yellow hair turns green,
Told me to find you, even if the rain,
And tell you he was drowned.

I hid behind the chassis on the bank,
The wreck of someone's Ford:
I was afraid to come and wake you drunk:
You told me once the waking up was hard,
The daylight beating at you like a board.
Blood in my stomach sank.

Beside, you told him never to go out
Along the river-side
Drinking and singing, clattering about.
You might have thrown a rock at me and cried
I was to blame, I let him fall in the road
And pitch down on his side.

Well, I'll get hell enough when I get home
For coming up this far,
Leaving the note, and running as I came.
I'll go and tell my father where you are.
You'd better go find Minnegan before
Policemen hear and come.

Beany went home, and I got sick and ran,
You old son of a bitch.
You better hurry down to Minnegan;
He's drunk or dying now, I don't know which,
Rolled in the roots and garbage like a fish,
The poor old man.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Jimi Doyle 20 May 2004

this poem is beating at me like a board!

0 0 Reply
Ratnakar Mandlik 11 December 2015

Amazing story poem. Enjoyed.10 points.

0 0 Reply
Susan Williams 11 December 2015

Not one to pretty up a sad story, is he? I like it when events aren't cleaned up and romanticied.

17 0 Reply
Kim Barney 11 December 2015

Interesting story. Brings the characters to life very well.

1 0 Reply
Chetan Pandey 11 December 2015

5 stars........ V. Good

0 0 Reply
M Asim Nehal 11 December 2015

Nice story lucidly told, I liked it.

0 0 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 11 December 2015

The poor old man. Nice work

0 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Close
Error Success