Sunday, November 20, 2016

The Great Liquor War - a rhyme

Here is a rhyme I wrote which covers some of the story within the covers of my novel, "The Great Liquor War." I wrote it while delivering fuel in a dozen different places and since it was very rough, gave it to my wife who smoothed it out quite nicely.
Enjoy.
DMM



The Great Liquor War Notes
By D.M. McGowan & K.L. McGowan


Hank had a gold claim in Rossland
Where he got some color, enough to meet his needs.
But decided he’d had quite enough of freezing
And water up to the knees.

In town he met a BC policeman
Who gave him an inside tip
On a major local attraction
Where he bet his gold … every bit

The bet paid off big time
Enough for a business setup
He felt he owed the cop for the tip
This Constable Jack Kirkup

So he headed up to Farwell
That had not long been a town.
A place enjoying construction,
They where laying a rail bed down.

Hank rounded up some horses
Mules, pack saddles and such
For hauling tools, food and clothes
To the construction bunch

Then the BC Provincial Policemen
And the federal Northwest Mounties,
Faced off with conflicting laws,
Jurisdiction, enforcement and boundaries

The BC cops, small force that they were
Had help from citizens through out the years
Propped up their numbers when needed
With auxiliaries and volunteers

Auxiliary Constables where sworn and paid
Though pay didn’t amount to much,
While Assistant Constables where volunteers
Citizens concerned with safety and such.
  
Hank felt indebted to Jack
And stepped right into the breach.
He felt not helping the cop
Would be cowardly and cheap.

But it’s good to know you’re needed
And sometimes good to be asked.
But Jack didn’t acknowledge his helpers
As he issued mission or task.

As the two groups of lawmen
Feuded one with the other,
The outlaws did as they chose
Sometimes without any cover.

So Hank lost livestock to the outlaws
And interrupted his own daily work
To help Jack with law and order.
A duty he never shirked

The outlaws thus emboldened
By the law’s internal fighting
Planned to rob a pay-train resting
On a secluded local siding

So what became of Hank
His sweetheart and the rest?
You’ll have to read the novel
To see who passed the test.





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