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THERE'S POETRY IN THEM THAR HILLS
A look at the found poetry
of Pendleton County, West Virginia
by Henry Singer

FRANKLIN, W. Va. - The Pendleton Times is a weekly newspaper in Pendelton County, West Virginia. The paper's been in continuous operation since 1913 and is read by about 5,200 people in the towns of Franklin, Sugar Grove, Cherry Grove, Kline, Judy Gap, and Circleville, among others. Its pages are devoted to local politics, farming, the school board and what little crime seems to happen here.

"We're located in a very rural area of West Virginia," said William McCoy, Esq., 80, publisher of the paper his father founded . "The population is only about 9,000 in the entire county, so most of the families in the county read the paper," he said. "The typical reader is not highly educated, but most have at least a high school education. Mostly they have work that involves agriculture. They are hard workers."

And, to some extent, they are poets.

The residents of Pendleton County can, for about 30 dollars American, publish poetic birthday greetings, in memoria, or get-well wishes in the paper. It's a tradition that goes back at least 30 years.

"These are homespun, Grandma-Moses-style rhymes; some of them are really quite charming," said Ed Tallman, the paper's editor-in-chief, and a "Roundtowner," a local term indicating that he is from Circleville.

The poems are brief, personal, frequently confusing, but always entertaining. They speak to small town life and the personalities of the people that comprise this community. Individually, the poems are sometimes strange and maybe a little obtuse; collectively, they present a tapestry of personalities, preferences and ideals in rural West Virginia.

Because they are not written as poems per se, but rather as direct messages with specific purpose, they tend not to rely on metaphor, symbolism, analogy, hyperbole, personification, or any of the other literary devices of poetry. Nevertheless, the accidental poets of Pendelton County have amassed an impressive, revealing and whimsical body of work.

What follows is a selection of poetry that has appeared on the pages of the Pendelton Times over the past 18 months. The paper can be reached via e-mail at thependletontimes@corlink.com.

[To see original clippings from which some of these poems are culled, click on a link under those poems, and a new window will appear.]

GET WELL CARD SHOWER

[In His Toyota Celica he does go!]

[link to clipping]

[When this little fellow was 5]

When this little fellow was 5,
The bleachers he did climb.
With little red cheeks,
And a big white Ford,
He thinks he's doing fine!
Farming and bear hunting
Are the loves of his life,
But what he really needs is a
"Bossy wife!"


[link to clipping]





[This little girl]

This little girl
from North Fork Flat
Drives a green car
with Cavalier on the back

You can see her on the road
Just cruisin' by
She's a senior this year
at Pendelton County High

On November 5th
She turned eighteen
No more boys for her
Now ain't that mean!


[link to clipping]







[His coon skin cap you won't see]

["Punkin" isn't he so sweet]

"Punkin" isn't he so sweet
Lives on the right up Roaring Creek
He washes that blue Peterbuilt twice every day
He is Mr. Clean, wouldn't you say
You may have to take your shoes of to get in his ride
A bottle of Armor All is always inside
Son of Elmer and Gabby he is true
A very happy 25th birthday to you!
                                                             Guess who?

[link to clipping]

[LITTLE TIMMY "WEE" IS GOING TO BE]

[This little boy]

This Little Boy
Cute as can be,
Is not as innocent
As you might think

,He drives fast cars,
Likes hard rock music,
Going out on the town,
And watching movies

So if you know
Who this could be
On April 15th
Twenty-two he will be!


[link to clipping]

[Gracious Sakes alive]

Gracious Sakes alive,
Looks who's turning 66 and 65 !
On March 15 and 16.
Happy Birthday Cletus and Elaine!

[Golden hair turning gray]

[link to clipping]

[The time we spent together is a time to be treasured]

The time we spent together is a time to be treasured
Because as a child I didn't know your life was measured.
A measurement of which was senseless cruel and unfair
And as your life came to an end--- I was there.
As a young man, I saw your life taken away,
And those horrific memories haunt me each and every day.
How could a man so precious, sweet, strong and kind
Have his life stole away and his family left behind
That question, the answer I will never understand
Because even as a man I still need my Dad's hand
I will never grow too old to need my Dad,
Cause he was the best friend a son could have
I wish I could have one more opportunity to hear you say
"Son you'll understand why I'm telling you this one day."
Well Dad, one day has come and I need to tell you
That everything you told me has come true
Every thought that I have and everything I do,
Is a perfect example of how much I respect you.
And Dad to me you will always be
Cause you will live forever in my memory.

[We loved you for so many years]

We loved you for so many years
But were not sad when God took you home
Because we all knew you had gone to a much better place
And we will see you again some day
under better circumstances.

[Each day I walk a little further along the path that takes]

Each day I walk a little further along the path that takes
me away fromthe moment you died ending our marriage.
Each step takes me a little further away from missing you,
your touch, your kiss. However, I didn't know that the path
circles around until I am back to where I started.


[link to clipping]