Deguello
I am but a spirit now, some say ghost,
While others claim I do not exist.
But exist I do from human remains
That carried the Earthly name of Billy.
The spirit that I am was released on
March 6th, 1836, - Billy died,
Or better to say his head was blown off
At a Mexican mission, the Alamo.
I was a Texian brought to the battle
By youth, hot blood and the need for comrades.
I had been in Texas a mere three months -
Patriotism had not occurred to me.
Others yelled to die for "country", and, yet,
Old Tennessee was still country to me.
Still the land as far as the eye could see
Was Mexico, and we had not changed that.
Famous men gathered at the Alamo-
Dave Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Travis -
I was not one of them, I was afraid.
I counted those with us at two hundred
And the Mexican army ten times that.
They built their army slowly over the days.
Men had ridden or walked a thousand miles
Just to kill me because I had rebelled.
Truth be told there was nothing in Texas
That I would die for - but, then, here I was.
The army from Mexico was led by
A well know scoundrel named Santa Anna.
A peacock he was called and it fit him well -
We called him the Napoleon of the West,
And he did try to live up to that name.
At the Alamo he held all the cards.
Santa Anna showed his deepest disdain
With a band of trumpets in his army.
They played a song simply called Deguello,
Over and over - it meant no mercy.
The title was translated as "slit throat".
The music affected me deeply as
I lost my fear and prepared for battle -
I died in the second wave the next day
Shot in the face on the Alamo wall.
I have been told by other spirits that
All Texians died with no mercy shown -
Deguello
I cannot blame the Mexican people
For my death - It was I in rebellion.
I was not there for the final outcome,
But I do remember the Alamo.
6/14/2017
For contest "Create A Character" for Cecilia Hopkins-Drewer
Authors Note: The music of Deguello can be heard by browsing the internet.
It is still haunting after 180 years..Larry Bradfield
Copyright © Larry Bradfield | Year Posted 2017
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