Belle Starr Poem by Harry Bryant

It was from Carthage, Missouri, Belle originally came,
Myra Belle Shirley, was her real name,
she was a decendant, of the Hatfields, the ones in the feud,
and a friend of Cole Younger, of the Younger brood,
it was in the war between the states, where she started to shine,
she was a lookout for the rebel army, and reported on time,
positions of the Union army, trying to bring them defeat,
but didn't help much, soon the rebels began to retreat,
while she was in college she met the Younger and James gangs,
while they were riding with Quantril on the Kansas range,
it was their influence that turned her to crime,
they would come visit and stay for some time,
away from the law, they had to hide,
they stayed for a while then they would ride,
she married James Reed, while the bandits were gone,
they were quite happy and it wasn't long,
till they had two children a girl and a boy,
the boy brought her grief and the girl brought her joy,
now James was a no good, he robbed and he killed,
till finally one day, his own blood got spilled,
Belle went to Dallas, and rambled around,
she would drink and gamble and fire her guns in the ground,
she met Sam Starr, they married and left Texas behind,
they went to Oklahoma, and a farm they did find,
Sam he tried to farm it, but didnt succeed,
so he turned to crime, just like James Reed,
they got arrested and went to the jail,
the hanging judge Parker set them no bail,
they were found guilty and each given a year,
in Detroit House of Correction, and shed not a tear,
after her release, she said to all that she saw,
I am a friend to any brave and gallant outlaw',
she liked tight fitting clothes, usually in Black,
on her way home she got shot in the back,
they knew not who shot her, for sure anyway,
no one was arrested, no one had to pay,
there is a marble stone that marks where she lays,
on it, a bell, her horse, a star and the following Epitaph,

'SHED NOT FOR HER A BITTER TEAR,
NOR GIVE THE HEART TO VAIN REGRET
TIS BUT THE CASKET THAT LIES HERE
THE GEM THAT FILLED IT SPARKLES YET'.

this is the story from beginning to end,
to all outlaw cowboys she was a friend,
none are buried around her, for she died alone,
for all of her sins, she had to atone.

written by Harry Bryant
8/23/04 1: 41: 19 �