Pine Mountain Cemetery           
             Old Ben  

His three corner stone echoes
Hats worn by fellow soldiers
Fightin’ a war way back, ‘fore memory
Today can capture the worst of it.  
Tall, too, way more than most.
Lived ten by ten, such a stretch. 

Lanky, pants just to raw ankle
Bones. Strong, way I hear it
No man in these here parts could
Hold a candle to what he could lift.  
Never went in the mines, proud
He was, so let the earth keep
Him in what little he needed.

Smart, oh he knew things way
Beyond the ken of us shorter men.  
Planted trees, mostly apple, peach
Plum, paw paw. Kept his clan’s
Sweet tooth washed in pure honey.
Talked a rabbit into his stew slick
As you might want to see or tell.  

Mr. Ben, you rest good now. Likes
Of you won’t never walk again in a world
Gone crazy seekin’ room and the peace
You had and kept and offered back
To us ’uns too dull to grab the gift.