I'M A GONNA' (poem)

THEN:

Also published in 2012, "I'm a Gonna'". It is a poem I wrote about the invincibleness that I inherited from my father and it is written in the Appalachian jargon he taught me. When I was growing up, Daddy was strong and he loved things and people that were strong with him. He was a farmer with four daughters and he never spoke a word about the sons he must have longed for. We were always cherished as much as any male could have been, but I remember many a neighbor or acquaintance that looked at him with pity when they found out he had all girls, pity that enraged me and sent me to unload the 100 pound sacks from the back of the truck or to go ride that horse that wasn't quite tame yet. Their archaic attitudes left two of Dad's daughters with pretty heavy chips on our shoulders for many, many years. In truth they land there briefly to this day. Dad's daughters loved him then and we adore him to this day. We would fight a bear over him or take a bullet for him. His years of real love and warm devotion, especially in the face of such prejudices, could never be repaid, but any of us would die trying. So we became strong as an answer to the hard world around us, as a result of the love Pop has for us, and as a testament to the love we have for him, strong and... well, maybe a little stubborn too. As you will surely sense... 


       I'm A Gonna'

I'm a' gonna. I'm a' gonna!
Don't you never say I ain't!
I'm a' gonna. I'm a' gonna!
Don't you dare say I can't!
I'm a' gonna. I'm a' gonna!
Do you hear me?
Understand?
Even if I am a woman.
Even if I ain't a man.
Let me tell you why that is:
'Cause my Poppa is a Mountain.
And he's mine; and I'm his.
And since I was a tadpole,
Of the possumfrog I am,
He's been saying I can do it.
And he's right because I can!
So just hush your caterwalling.
Mind your toes and step aside.
If you're feeling kinda squeamish,
Turn your eyes or run and hide.
'Cause I'm a' gonna. I'm a' gonna!
And now you know.
'Cause here I go!