A Ne'Er-Do-Well, a Black Sheep

He didn't mind his father, ran away from home Barefoot boy, dressed in rags; hair never met a comb Never attended church or school, lived down by the river Taken in by a proper widow, he cursed his new caregiver Huck Finn was lawless, vulgar, and altogether coarse Smoked like a sooty chimney, had the manners of a horse Grew up in an age and era where ******* were all slaves His best friend, Tom Sawyer, hid plundered booty in a cave Yes, Huck Finn was as black as any black sheep come But though he wasn't book-smart, Huck sure wasn't dumb So when he met a slave named Jim on deserted Jackson Island Something stirred in Huck's heart; he lent old Jim a hand Huck risked his life to help Jim escape from slavery to freedom He threw Jim's owners off the trail; he knew how to mislead 'em This rebellious ne'er-do-well, all regarded as a black sheep But Huck fought for Jim, for what was right -- and what he sowed, we reaped July 08, 2019 Black Sheep Poetry Contest Sponsor: Anthony Slausin