THE BATTLE

by David G Dickenson

LET'S PICTURE THE SCENE OF WALLS GLISTENING CLEAN
PAINTED WHITE IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN ,
AND THE 189 WHO STOOD IN LINE FOR THE STAR TILL THE
BATTLE WAS DONE,
THEY CAME FROM AFAR TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT AND
CHASE THE BOLD TYRANT AWAY,
BUT THE TYRANT STOOD FAST HIS MEN WERE AMASSED
AS THEY STOOD GROUND AND DECIDED TO STAY

SAM HOUSTON HAD TRIED AN ARMY HE CRIED, HIS HOPES
FOR REPUBLIC HE SOUGHT,
OF THE MEN WHO'ED COMMAND THIS ONE FINAL STAND
AT THE ALAMO TIME THEY HAD BOUGHT.

FAMOUS FACES STOOD TALL AS THEY GUARDED THEIR WALL
THESE TEXICANS FIGHTING SO TRUE
THEY STOOD SIDE BY SIDE TILL ALL OF THEM DIED THEIR
BODIES ALL BATTERED AND BLUE,
TRAVIS DIED FIRST WITH A TERRIBLE BURST OF GUNFIRE
SO THICK AND SO FAST
HE STOOD NOT A CHANCE AT THIS MIGHTY ADVANCE FROM
MEXICANS GREATLY EN-MASSED.

CROCKETT WAS NEXT HIS MUSKET REFLEXED, KILLING ALL
WHO CAME INTO VIEW
AT LAST WHEN HE DIED A TORCH BY HIS SIDE, THE POWDER
STORE ERUPTED AND BLEW.

JIM BOWIE WAS SICK HIS ILLNESS CRYPTIC HE HUNG BETWIXT
DEATH TO SAVE FACE,
TWO PISTOLS AT HAND HE WOULD DIE FOR THE LAND HEED
ADOPTED WITH PASSION AND GRACE,
HE FOUGHT FOR HIS LIFE WITH HIS GREAT BOWIE KNIFE AND
DIED WITH HIS PRIDE SET IN PLACE.

WELL, SANTA ANNA HAD WON THE BATTLE WAS DONE,
HE HAD VANQUISHED HIS ENEMY BRAVE,
BUT THE LEGEND LIVES ON THE MEXICANS GONE,
THE LONE STAR STILL STANDS TO ENGRAVE.