Florida Cracker by Paulette Weaver

Note: What is a Florida Cracker? One term used for the state's early cowboys, that used a whip to herd cattle. 'pull'- take a hard drink from a liquor jug, 'cooter'- freshwater soft-shell turtle, 'chittlins'- hog innards, 'catchdog'- cattle herding dog, 'scrub cow'- cattle bred to withstand tough conditions of the Florida range. My poem:

I came upon his dwellin',where he
said, "come sit a spell." He
pulled up two old barrels to sit,
said real stories he would tell.

He was wearing faded, well-worn jeans,
rolled half-way up his legs.
His calves both wore some muscle,
from years of lifting corn-mash kegs.

His hands were grossly gnarled,
his skin leathered from the sun.
I knew he'd been around some time,
even old age comin', he had won.

He took a 'pull' and offered me
the same, if I was willin',
have some 'cooter', or if you wish,
a heapin' dish of chittlin'.

His trusty catchdog by his side
worked hard and earned its way.
In turn, he took good care, this
man's best friend, was here to stay.

He told me stories of days gone by,
when times were "gosh darn" tough.
With crackin' scrub cows on the range
and survivin' in the rough.

Before I left he said he wanted
to show me somethin' slick.
He went inside and came back out
carryin' his braided leather whip.

"Now git way back, and let me show
ya' what this whip can do."
He flipped his wrist, I heard the crack,
sound echoed through and through.

I got up to leave, we said goodbye,
I thanked him for his time.
We took one more 'pull', he smiled
and said, "the pleasure was all mine."

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Florida Cracker
by Paulette Weaver
copyright 12-07-2001

Age Rating: 10 to 127

Prose-n-Poetry.com

Florida Cracker by Paulette Weaver copyright 12-07-2001 Age Rating: 10 to 127

Florida Cracker
by Paulette Weaver
copyright 12-07-2001

Age Rating: 10 to 127