The Duke
John Wayne movies have been a thing of mine,
But my "Top Ten" I think divine.
"Rio Bravo" as number one I rate,
The "Duke" and the cast were just great.
"The Searchers" is a close number two,
His unique portrayal of a troubled character so true.
"The Quiet Man" is next in line,
I have to see it, come St. Patty's time.
Number Four would be "True Grit"
He won an "Oscar" for his role in it.
At number five is "The Shootist" for me,
The old gunfighter facing personal tragedy.
"Red River" comes in sixth I'd say,
From young man to old in less than a day.
Seventh to "The Sands of Iwo Jima" would go,
A reminder of the sacrifices our parents would know.
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence" comes in number eight,
"Tom Donovan", a portrayal of values and love just great.
"North To Alaska" forget I would not dare,
The role he played with such comic flare.
"They Were Expendable" rounds out my ten,
The action and heroism portrayed then.
But I have to admit that this ten was hard to come by,
As he made so many great films...to my minds eye.
"Wings of Eagles", "In Harm's Way", "The Commancheros" all are there,
Not to mention "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" would not be fair.
Let's not forget his breaktrough role in "Stagecoach" when
John Ford picked him to be one of his "Top Ten".
Oh, I could go on and on about the movies he made,
But it was the American character that he displayed.
Maybe that's what is missing from our lives today,
A man that will stand for something, and lives as he'd say.
As movies for us are but a relief,
Especially in these times of grief.
"The Duke" was a man who lived life and the American Dream,
A dream that he captured, time and again on the "Silver Screen".
Copyright © Daniel Cwiak | Year Posted 2010
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