Home » Poems » David Welch » No Longer a Quaker, Part Ii

No Longer a Quaker, Part Ii

...He thought of it for many days,
then went and bought a colt,
when Ma saw it, she railed and screamed,
her peace she could not hold.
Redmon had to sleep at the ranch,
in the big, long bunkhouse,
but it was close to his home so
he could keep an eye out.
His mother gave
silent treatment,
believed her words
were Heaven sent.
It left poor Redmon riddled with
a plethora of doubts.

It went like this for several weeks,
people kept getting robbed,
Redmon rode in one afternoon
from getting doggies bobbed,
and in the distance, at the home
strange horses he did see,
fear rose and he sprinted his mount,
Ttre across the prairie.
The door was wide,
inside the house,
he saw sister
without a blouse,
and two men standing over her,
grinning so lustily.

The colt flashed fast form his holster,
head-shot to the near man,
the other went for his pistol
and was quite fast of hand.
Redmon got another shot off,
but so did his damn foe,
the bandit took it through the neck,
collapsed, died in a choke.
Redmon was shot
in his left thigh,
mother ran out,
was by his side.
“They said that they would kill us all,
after they…well…you know…”

They sent for doctor and lawman,
and both were quickly there,
Doc said,”It missed the blood vessels,
there’s no need to despair.”
Lawman said,”Those are Allen’s boys,
they never were no good.
Should have expected they would take
anything that they could.”
Took them out,
and all were safe,
mother had tears
streaking her face,
said,”Please, you saved us all today,
move back in, if you would?”

He said,”Ma, I cannot do that,
I will carry a gun.
If you even again need help
just call, and I will run.”
And though his mother still would not
carry a gun herself,
she stopped condemning those who did
to a fiery hell.
She saw that God
made many paths
that all would walk
intil the last.
What path was chosen for Redmon
only time dared to tell.

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