Prompted by Poet's Place Cafe

Cora Lynn Williams 1834-1850 -Tools of the Trade Persona

Cora Lynn Williams 1834-1850

Ma'am, 'scuse me Ma'am,
         you, standin' at that stone.
Sorry to bother,
but I been tryin' to find my fam'ly,
and I need help.

Mama told me I'd be honored
to marry up with Mr. Williams,
he's a fine upstandin' man,
                   an Elder,
and Papa says, 'cause of him
we only lost one wagon
crossin' the Platte...

When we got to the Salt Lake
he begun right away
         buildin' a cabin
for me and my new sister-wife, Marilda.
She's mama to his little girl
                   and two rowdy boys.

I dreamt of havin' a sweet baby
                    of my own,
it's a wife's duty, you know,
         to bear children,
but I never thought it'd hurt so much.
I heard Mrs. Griffin,
         she helps with the birthin',
she said somthin' 'bout my baby bein' turned
                   and me so small.
I 'member red sticky blood,
         the sweat,
                   the awful, stabbin' pain
         and bein' tired,
so tired I just had to stop and sleep . . .
         then the cold,
so cold it froze my bones.

Was that my Mama I heard cryin'?
I gotta find my Mama, my baby....
Maybe you could find Mr. Williams for me,
         he'll know what to do.
                   Judi Van Gorder


Notes: ▼

38 Lines
Persona in the style of the Spoon River Anthology   by Edgar Lee Masters

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