All right, enough with the vowel poems.
So there are these--
there's a long narrative section to the first section
of this book, and it's kind of like Billy the Kid meets Medea.
So it's about this kid Jim--
Our Jim-- who's half Native American.
And you'll get a--
I'll read one section that gives you a very clear idea
of the story behind him.
"Ballad of Infanticide."
"Near starved, we find a fort of teetotallers
who begrudge us their succor.
While we eat up all their salt pork,
Our Jim sings for them in a strange high voice
of an Injun killing Ranger who hitches up
with his Comanche guide.
She bears him a strapping son and is
ramped with another, when the Ranger hives off
with a fair-haired sheriff's daughter.
He then banishes his squaw and his sons
like they're prairie beeves But she won't go quietly--
she poisons his new wife with a malarial dress,
and that ain't the worst of her sins,
that tar-eyed witch strangles her own newborn,
and the other son flees--
The ladies cry-- enough of this devil song.
Then it done occurs to us, looking at his dusky skin--
Our Jim's a two-bit half-breed."