Narrative Poem

Narrative Poem

Narrative Poem

JOHN WESLEY HARDIN WAS BORN ON MAY 26, 1853
IN BONHAM, FANNIN COUNTY, TEXAS.
THEY COULD HAVE MOVED TO CALIFORNIA,
BUT BACK THEN, THEY DID NOT HAVE A LEXUS.

HE WAS NAMED AFTER FOUNDER OF METHODISM.
JAMES C. HARDIN WAS HIS METHODIST FATHER
WHO TRAVELED ON HIS PREACHING CIRCUIT.
THE NEARBY SCHOOL’S TEACHER WAS HIS MOTHER.

WHEN HE WAS YOUNG,
THE WAR RAGED ON.
FOR FIVE YEARS THEY FOUGHT
UNTIL THE NORTH WON.

WES GOT INTO A KNIFE FIGHT
AT ONLY NINE YEARS OLD
WITH CHARLES SLOTER.
AT HOME, HE WOULD BE SCOLD.

EVEN AS A CHILD, HARDIN
DISPLAYED A FIERCE TEMPERAMENT.
THE WAY A TREE GROWS
IS BASED ON THE WAY IT IS BENT.

OVER HIS ENTIRE LIFETIME,
HE WAS INFAMOUS FOR KILLING
AT LEAST FORTY-FOUR MEN
TO HIM, IT WAS FULFILLING.

FROM 1868 TO 1874,
HE WAS A NOTORIOUS AND VENGEFUL OUTLAW
WHO HAD A VERY MURDEROUS INFLUENCE.
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN FREQUENTLY BROKE THE LAW.

TO SOME, HE WAS A MISUNDERSTOOD
CALLOUS VICTIM OF OPPRESSION.
WHY HE WOULD KILL SO MANY
PEOPLE IS THE ONLY QUESTION.

HARDIN WAS THE MOST PROFLIGATE
AND LETHAL KILLER IN THE OLD WEST
BECAUSE HE WAS THE FASTEST GUNSLINGER.
THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT HE IS THE BEST.

HE MET JANE BOWEN AT
A WEDDING IN GONZALES.
FOR THE YEARS TO COME,
SHE WOULD NEED LOTS OF SOLACE.

JANE BOWEN’S FATHER GAVE
PERMISSION FOR THEM TO WED.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN
A FEW YEARS, SHE WOULD BE DEAD.

“WILD BILL” HICKOK KNEW OF HIS
REPUTATION AND ARRANGED A TRUCE.
HE COULD WEAR HIS GUNS ONLY IF HE
BEHAVED AND THERE WAS NO EXCUSE.

THE TRUCE ENDED WHEN HARDIN
SHOT A MAN FOR SNORING.
HE ESCAPED, BUT HICKOK DIDN’T
CHASE HIM BECAUSE HE’S BORING.

ON AUGUST 19, 1895
JOHN SELMAN SENIOR FOUND
JOHN WESLEY HARDIN AT THE
ACME SALOON WHERE NO ONE WAS AROUND.

WALKING UP FROM BEHIND, SELMAN
FIRED A BULLET AT HARDIN’S HEAD.
HE FIRED AGAIN, JUST IN CASE.
FINALLY, JOHN WESLEY HARDIN WAS DEAD.
SELMAN WAS CHARGED WITH MURDER.
BUT CLEARED BECAUSE OF SELF-DEFENSE.
HARDIN WAS BURIED...

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