The Tragedy Of Reginald King Poem by David Welch

I.
He was riding south from Boise,
having split from the other men,
they'd got together for this job,
would not see each other again.

It was much safer doing that,
thought Reg as he sat on his horse,
made it harder for the lawmen
or Pinkertons to take their score.

And even if that were not sure,
Reginald King wouldn't go back,
he'd seen a lot in his young life,
but never anything like that.

He'd been hitting stages three years,
since the orphanage turned him out,
it had been his way to survive,
before now he hadn't felt doubt.

But looking at that preacher's eyes
as all the life drained out of him…
hearing the man's damning last words,
and seeing the bloody-teeth grin…

"God's wrath with find you, stupid boy, "
that phrase had been etched on his heart,
Reg hadn't cared that much before,
but now it all gave him a start.

He'd never like to kill that much,
but had done it when there was need,
two fools who had tried to fight back,
that was all he'd ever made bleed.

He hadn't shot the preacher, no,
the ring-leader had done that job,
a man named Jones that always killed
the people that he chose to rob.

He said it was, "Cleaner that way,
no one can talk if they are dead…"
Reg supposed that it made some sense,
but that image stayed in his head.

He was only nineteen years old,
and so far he knew just this path,
Bilyl the Kid had been like him,
and that man was not coming back...

He didn't know much of this world,
but he knew that he feared the grave,
they'd look for him if he stayed here,
so he had to be one his way.

Besides a new country would be
a place where he could rethink things,
maybe try a new track in life,
honest men survived by working.

If they could do it, so could he,
push a plow or clerk in a store,
it might seem dull but at least he'd
not see dead preachers anymore.

So he rode to Arizona,
he hadn't been this way for years,
not since he'd left the orphanage,
he had done no crimes around here.

Picked out a town named Ironwood,
not that far from where he had grown,
enjoyed familiarity
of the few places he had known.

He found himself a nice saloon,
but drinking was not on his mind,
such places were where people went,
and some sort of job he must find.

The barkeep saw him swagger near,
saw his dark eyes and his long chin,
saw his face with its scrubby bear,
and said, "Hey, stranger, come on in! "

II.
Now Reg was good at pressing flesh,
always had a gift for the gab,
in twenty minutes the locals
treated him like the best friend they had.

He bought some drinks, but not too much,
did not want to raise suspicion,
lawmen could smell loot being spent,
and he had no love for prison.

He learned who might be hiring,
though few shops were looking in town,
but ranches needed cowpunchers,
there were mighty herds on these grounds.

He thanked men for their sound advice,
working cattle might be a start,
but as he left, he remembered
a mystery close to his head.

Like any orphan anywhere
he wondered who his folks might be,
since he'd grown up two towns over
he might just have a chance to see

If they were still around these parts,
if they were someone he could find,
so he sought out the town's lawyer
to share what was the on his mind.

The attorney was name Tyree,
a short, mousy man, bookish type,
he asked, "What can I do for your? "
So Reg sat and explained his plight.

"And now you want to hire me
to dig into your missing past? "
Reg said, "Yes sir, I don't read much,
but I hear lawyers are god at that."

The lawyer just gave a soft grin,
he really did feel for the man,
to not know who your people were…
to have no support, and no plan.

Levi took out some cash and said,
"Now this is most of what I've got, "
that was a lie, but he must hide
his windfall, that just was his lot.

Tyree said, "I will find them, son,
thought it might take me a few weeks,
I'm the only lawyer in town,
so my days can be quite busy."

Levi said, "I will be around,
I hope to settle in this place,
northern Arizona is nice,
it looks like there's plenty of space."

He tipped his hat to the lawyer,
then made his way back to his mount,
he wouldn't spend more money yet,
so he headed outside of town.

He'd find a place to camp out here,
that's what most saddle bums would do,
it wouldn't raise any alarms
from other people's points-of-view.

Besides, the night sky here was vast,
and no rain cloud blocked out the stars,
staring up at that great unknown
was not without its subtle charms.

But as he sought a place to stop
he came on an adobe house,
and saw a woman struggling,
firewood scattered on the ground.

An idea crept into his thoughts,
maybe he could still find a bed,
even if in the barn out back,
so he leapt down and to her sped.

III.
"Excuse me m'am, "he did call out,
"It looks like you could use some help."
The woman looked up cautiously,
if she feared him, he could not tell.

"And what if my husband should come,
see a stranger talking with me? "
He nodded, said, "I would explain,
no good woman needs to fear, see.

"I'm not a man who would presume,
ghere is not joy in things like that.
I may not be a perfect man,
but I'd never do things like that."

She eyed him up and down, again,
then said, "You can help if you'd like.
I'm cooking inside, need more wood,
help me and you can have a bit."

He tipped his cap and got to work,
gathered up the logs in his arms,
then rose and looked at his squarely,
and what he saw didn't alarm.

She appeared to be late thirties,
but didn't show a speck of grey,
her curves would speak to any man,
and not words to drive him away.

Besides some small lines by her eyes
she had no flaws to her beauty,
her husband was a lucky man
to pick a woman so lovely.

Inside she took the wood from him,
fed a big stove where a pot cooked,
"I've made a rabbit stew, "she said,
"I'm no chef, but it should be good."

Reg nodded and stood awkwardly,
said, "When will your husband be home? "
She laughed and said, "I lied to you,
I've been living here all alone.

"Needed to see if I could trust
this strange man who came to my house,
based on the way you're blushing now,
I think you wouldn't hurt a mouse."

Reg was indeed red in the face,
not quite sure why he felt this way,
but this woman had confidence,
her presence made him want to stay.

As they sat down she said to him,
"People round here call me Jolene."
He introduced himself and them
she brought out two big bowls that steamed.

Alone was she, but she had means,
fresh vegetables, big loaves of bread,
Reg could not remember a time
when he'd ever been so well fed.

And she could talk, oh, did she talk,
in a way that put him at ease,
asked him about his plans and soon
he was spilling all of his dreams.

His desire to settle down,
his trip to the town to find work,
after talking for an hour
Reg finally asked about her.

"How does a woman like yourself
end up living alone out here?
Most men would crave a girl like you."
She sighed, said, "Let me make it clear.

"Most did crave a ‘girl' like me,
I worked the hook-shops in this land.
I live here because it's as close
as the wives in this town will stand."

IV.
An awkward silence fell on them,
Reg felt bad, and looked at his feet,
"I didn't mean to pry, "he said.
she laughed and said, "Don't look so meek.

"There's not much work for women here,
and I had no family or friends,
for girls like me serving the men
was just a means to make an ends.

"Perhaps I'm not respected much,
but the money I made was great,
enough I could retire here,
rent grazing lands from my estate.

"That keeps the money coming in,
don't have to spend time on my back,
unless, of course, I'm choosing too…
Perhaps you could help me with that? "

His eyes widened, hearing the words,
once again he found himself lost,
he'd met no girls who spoke like this,
but then she gave a slight hair toss.

"I know it may seem quite sudden,
so I hope you're not to alarmed,
but sadly it's been many months
since I've had a man in my arms.

"Besides I think you'll find my bed
less drafty then the barn outside."
He nodded, said, "Yes ma'am that's true…"
then saw the naughty glint in her eyes.

She took his hand and led him there,
and Reg could not believe his luck,
you could say Jolene liked her fun,
and she really knew how to…love.

Far better than he'd known before,
he fell to sleep in an earned sweat,
and all this for some firewood?
He instantly felt in her debt.

Wrapped up in a warm, dreamless sleep,
he would've stayed that way all night,
until a loud gunshot echoed,
giving the new lovers a fright.

She stumbled nude to the window,
he grabbed his gun, was close behind,
then saw three men out in the yard,
one cried, "Puta, I'm here again! "

The voice was a drunken bellow,
hint of a Mexican accent,
then the man cried, "I see him there!
I won't share you with other men! "

She yelled back, "Damn you, Lautaro,
I told I was never yours!
Get yourself off right off of my land,
go to town, there's plenty of whores! "

The drunk man leered in the moonlight,
a graying bead on his long chin,
said, "Those girls don't know how to please,
don't even know where to begin!

"Now send that man behind you down,
I'll teach him for touching my girl! "t
She said, "You're drunk, no get on home,
or I'll give my shotgun a whirl! "

The man below swore and grumbled,
rhen said something profane in Spanish,
he and his friends then ambled off,
Jolene said, "I'm sorry for this.

"I'm sorry that you had to see
he scene which has just transpired,
that bastard is an old client…
who can't accept I'm retired."

V.
Reg did nothing but embrace her,
it seemed like the right thing to do,
she said, "Let's just go back to bed,
it's much nicer lying with you."

The next day, while he was dressing
ro hit the ranches for a job,
she came and said, "Why not work here?
I have many acres to trod.

"Renting my land may pay the bills,
but my own herd could make us rich,
I'll cut you in, forty percent,
I need a strong man to do this."

He raised an eyebrow and he said,
"Folks will talk if I'm living here."
She scoffed and said, "They talk already,
who cares how it all may appear?

"I have no husband, have no kids,
who would I leave all of this too?
And if you love me before I'm old
how would that not be good for you?

"Besides, this will make you good coin,
no waiting to buy your own spread,
trying to save on a cowboy's wage…
before you got rich you'd be dead."

He paused there to think about it,
such an offer was mightt rare,
the corrals and the barn were old,
she could really use a man there.

And spread amongst a running ranch
he could easily spend his loot,
no one would questions expenses,
plus he'd have a fine woman to boot.

So he smiled, stuck out his hand,
said, "I'll be your partner in this."
She laughed and didn't shake it, no,
she just drew him in for a kiss.

For weeks thing went pretty smoothly,
he rebuilt the barn and the fence,
she found leads on a herd to buy,
seemed things would be going again.

Some folks did whisper about him,
that ‘old woman' using ‘that kid, '
and if their nights were ‘being used'
he was rather glad that she did!

He'd never known a life so great,
never once in all of his years,
banditry had kept him on edge,
the orphanage a sea of tears.

And even if she'd been a whore
she showed no betrayal to him,
and spent her nights pressed again Reg,
he relished the warmth of her skin.

Days and nights the two worked and loved,
a strange pair, but one that still worked,
he built things to keep their cows,
at night she massaged all his hurts.

He somehow got to thinking that
this would go on all of their lives,
until one night commotion came
from three loud men waiting outside…

It was the old client out there,
Lautaro standing by the door,
screamed, "Send that foolish kid our here!
It's far time we settle this score!

"I share Jolene with nobody,
and I mean to have her this night,
come on you gringo bastardo,
come, if you have the stones to fight! "

VI.
Reg looked from the dinner table,
heard the door take a hard pounding.
Jolene frowned, said, "He sounds sober…
He's much worse when he doesn't drink."

But Reg knew what this required,
good men stood up for their women,
no longer a sulking bandit,
he knew he had to go face them.

"Are you sure you want to do this? "
she asked as he grabbed his gun-belt.
He said, "That man is a problem,
I won't have him make our life hell."

He walked slowly out of the door,
the three men there looked quite surprised,
Reg saw a cold, familiar glint
in the glare of Lautaro's eyes.

He was a tall and lanky man,
in that one way somewhat like Reg,
Reg stood before his lover's foe,
the two of them on a knife's edge.

"So the boy comes to die, "he said,
idly stroking his long chin.
Reg said, "You are now welcome here,
so walk out the way you came in."

The man just gave a laugh at that,
his hand flashed down straight for his gun,
Reg acted quickly on instinct,
and he turned out the quicker one.

Lautaro grabbed at his sternum,
then with a strange croaking collapsed,
the other two men looked on shock,
then both of them ran away fast.

Jolene came out behind him,
gasped when she saw the lifeless man,
Reg said, "I tried to dissuade him…
but he never gave me the chance."

It wasn't long before lawmen
came out to see what had gone down,
Reg just sat against the corral,
his face covered with a deep frown.

He'd sought so hard to escape this,
and once more he had chosen to kill,
when he saw the sherrff approach
he couldn't help but feeling ill.

Was this where it came falling down?
Where his sordid past was found out?
"It's self-defense, "the sherrif said,
"This is one case where there's no doubt.

"I know you're probably shoken up,
this kind of thing can hurt you deep.
but you did nothing wrong, "he said,
"Still, I think distance you should seek.

"Lautaro had some cousins here,
they might put their mind on revenge.
Maybe it's best to go lie low
for a while, then come back again."

"I'm not one for running, sheriff, "
said Reg, then Jolene tugged his arm,
saying, "Please, Reg, he tells the truth,
for me you should not come to harm."

He tried to object one more time,
but her eyes pierced deep to his soul.
the sheriff said, "We'll keep her safe,
even his cousins aren't that bold."

He sighed and look upon Jolene,
said, "One year, no more, I'll be back."
She kissed him on the cheek and said,
'I'll be looking forward to that."

VII.
It was one year, minus a day,
when Reg ventured back to her home,
he'd gotten work running cattle,
all over Nevada did roam.

But the whole time he dreamed about
his woman alone on the ranch,
he realized he truly loved her,
she was his, and he was her man.

When he rode up to her front door,
going in the cover of night,
he knocked softly and she approached,
Reg was astonished by the sight.

It wasn't just his Jolene there,
a small baby lay in her arms,
she smiled warmly, and she said,
"Couldn't wait one more day, gol' darn.

"Well, I guess that you should come in,
you're daughter would love to meet you,
Regina sure missed her daddy,
and I think her mother did too."

It took Reg a moment to hear,
he hadn't expected this all,
that said, he wasn't complaining,
and into Jolene's arms did fall.

He lay holding his girls that night,
thought of the preacher way back when,
God wasn't a creature of wrath,
in truth, he rewarded good men.

They just picked up where they'd left off,
two misfits lived as man and wife,
even brought her to a preacher
so they could say they'd done it right.

Once again joyous weeks went by,
they bought cows to graze on the land,
she was no whore, he no bandit,
to the world, just woman and man.

Until the day Tyree stopped by,
in his hands was a small folder.
"I heard that you were back, "he said,
his face looking somewhat disturbed.

"What makes you look so glum? "asked Reg,
said Tyree, "It's you family.
I have found what you once asked for,
but do you want to know? Really? "

Reg just looked back, rather confused,
"Well what kind of question is that?
What kind of man wouldn't want to know
all about their real mom and dad? "

Tyree sighed and gave the folder,
it was pages from a town hall,
a list of births twenty years back,
and Reg quickly scanned through them all.

Most were kids born to married folk,
the way this was supposed to go,
Reg felt thankful for those children,
the pain he'd felt they'd never know.

But that joy soon faded to black,
and Tyree heard Reginald scream,
at the words, ‘A half-Mexican boy
was born to a whore named Jolene…'