By: Ron Whitehead
the night watch
i lifted my wind up alarm clock
from under my army cot
i was excited to have my own room
the long kitchen closet
as i stared at the baseball cards and pennant flags
tacked to the wood slat wall
i heard mama gently singing a sweet gospel song
i looked up to see her ironing clothes
there were clothes on hangers hangers hangers
and a waist high pile yet to go
the clock says 10:47pm
the night watch
i heard a truck crunching gravel on our long driveway
then 4 loud knocks on our blue front door
when mama opened the door 3 men stepped in
one said we need ed
daddy had slipped green khaki work pants
over his boxer shorts no shirt on
the upset man excitedly explained that
someone had been shot and
others beat up on the picket line
we need your help ed he said
the clock says 3:14am
the night watch
screaming tires screeching metal shattering glass
yet another wreck in front of our old farmhouse
on foggy nights folks miss the stop sign
where gravel road and asphalt road collide
peering out the front window i see the rear end
of a car smoke and fire and a bloody face
with arms trying to crawl out of the gully cross the road
racing out the front door daddy yelled stay here
the clock says 2:38am
the night watch
the telephone rang out in the night
mama answered she said ed it’s the sheriff
yes daddy was a farmer and a coal miner
but he was also ohio county deputy sheriff
when the sheriff had a problem that was too tough
he called daddy who strapped on his holster and
loaded pistol put on his badge and cowboy hat and
said somebody’s been hurt i’ll take care of it go back to bed
the clock says 1:23am
the night watch
my eyes popped open as roy orbison cranked all the way up
and another voice that sounded familiar yelled
ed bet you can’t catch us then
as the jacked up red chevy nova revved its engine
i saw daddy slip out from the side of our house
he was in his boxer shorts no shirt
he had the pump action 12 gauge shotgun
which he aimed towards the car and
as he let out the howl of 10 madmen
the muscle car set fire to the road
keening teenagers moaning then screaming as
daddy unnloaded the shotgun kaboom kaboom kaboom
blasting rounds skimming the top of the car he stood
now in the middle of the road as the scared kids fled
up the road and over the hill with their hearts in their hands
the clock says 12:58am
the night watch
ed ed hey ed your bull’s out
come on i’ll help you get him back in
a man yells in the middle of the night
from somewhere out front
the front door slams
i don’t get up i stay in bed
the clock says 4lordy08am
the night watch
the cedar wind whistles the pine wind whines
through the holes in the attic walls
my dead uncle ray visited me again a friendly spirit
stopping by to say hello and wish me well
dead relatives appear often at the foot of my bed
in the attic room my brother and i share
we have twin beds a lamp an am radio and
my wind up alarm clock on a night stand
the only furniture in our open rafters
unfinished floor bedroom the only place to walk
is from stairs to beds a vast open space
frequented by ghosts and singing wind
and my brother and me
it snowed hard last night the house still moans
i know it’s time to rise and shine i smell bacon
mama’s serving daddy breakfast i hear them talking
downstairs in the kitchen daddy’s telling a joke
mama’s laughing and i bet there’s no school today
oh boy so i close my eyes and stay in bed
the clock says 5am
the night watch
from MAMA: a poet’s heart in a kentucky girl
by Greta Render Whitehead & Ron Whitehead
Copyright (c) 2014 Greta Render Whitehead & Ron Whitehead