Mary Arimoto's Found Poem blending "The Blue and the Gray" and facts of the Civil War.
Cheyenne Agin
Stand For Something
Children broke away from their families and went north.
“I am asking for your bless’n Pa and your Ma.”
The roots still run strong.
“You know your way home.”
Southerners still ran their community off of slaves.
“Were gonna have a big house, land, and slaves.”
Men signed up for the war in belief it would be fast.
“I’ll be the first wounded on the battle field.”
Family members had to pick sides and fight against each other.
“It’s not sacred soil, not to me, not anyone.”
Those that were top young to enlist even wanted to fight.
“This war is gonna be the biggest thing for my generation and I’ll
be left out of it.”
The sanitary conditions were very bad at the camps.
“You got the screamers.”
The armies where huge, everyone joined.
“Armies got more camp fires then the shy has stars.”
Many tactics were used in fighting against each other.
“Camp fires are blinking.”
At Bull Run many men found out if they were ready to be at war.
“Certainly no room for cowards.”
Jeff Apodaca
As They Fight Their First Fight
As the Emancipation Proclamation sets in, people die.
“The plan on my part was to free slaves not to kill anyone.”
The Southerners fear that their way of life is soon coming to an
end.
“Slaves are what God intended them to be.”
As the young men learns a new way of life, the life of a soldier.
“Place the cap on the nipple.”
With this new way of life come the responsibilities of the black
powder guns and rifles.
“Snug with rammer, do not forget to remove the rammer.”
After hours, days, weeks, of training the men are prepared to fight
and die for their country or beliefs.
“A man couldn’t have asked for a better day to die.”
Some are not ready to face their destiny, others are.
“I don’t know nothing about war.”
Some live some die.
“James is dieing”
When it come to fighting a small amount are born leader like
Stonewall Jackson, some are followers, and some or cowards.
“I just wet my pants.”
To win a war you always need a strategy like an up hill advantage.
“This is just a fake, the main army is up the creek.”
As the Union and Confederacy come face to face with death at Bull
Run one most become victorious and one most lose.
“Fall back to the fence”