to his daughter, on December 31, 1960
Old Lowe is bragging
about his hard times
when one fall he had flour
and potatoes, but no meat
for the winter, and no money
to buy shells for his gun.
So he took his axe to the woods
and saw nine partridges
sitting on a tree limb.
He threw the axe, splitting
the limb. The partridges’ feet
got stuck in the split ― then,
he threw the axe again
and cut the limb from the tree.
The limb and partridges fell
in the creek ― Old Lowe
went in after his birds.
The fish were running
and filled his pants. When
the fish started squirming
in the seat of his pants, his pants’
buttons started popping off
and killed three deer that were
watering downstream.
So, for Christmas he had
in his winter larder:
a sack of potatoes and flour,
nine partridges, three deer,
and a pants full of fish.